


Home

by Amaya_Ithilwen



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Canon-Typical Humor, Canon-typical Cursing, Children, F/M, Family, Gen, Hawaii, M/M, Post-Canon, Wedding, after war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-16 11:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 52,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3486125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaya_Ithilwen/pseuds/Amaya_Ithilwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over. Finally. All of them were returning to their home planet, building up a new life. There will be weddings and families founded, whilst others somehow have trouble to find back to the civilian live after the war. But one thing is sure: Chaos, awkward and hilarious situations follow them back to earth.<br/>(WashXAla- / Grimmons-Centric)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Radio Transmission

“This message goes to every army in the interstellar confederation: Here is command. The war is over. Cease fire and wait for further instructions. I repeat, the war is over, this is not a drill. Cease fire and wait for further instructions. Ships will come to pick you up, give us your coordinates. I repeat, ships will come to pick you up, give us your coordinates. This message goes to every army in the interstellar confederation: Here is command. The war is over. Cease fire and-”

Bleary-eyed and with tousled hair Grif stumbled in the big mess hall of the base they lived at on Chorus. Followed short by Simmons. He also looked a bit sleepy, but more awake than his boyfriend. He was always one to be awake fast if he woke up. Grif always needed his time and some reminders to get up. Otherwise he would fall asleep again right away.

“Man, it’s in the middle of the fucking night, why are they waking us-“ began Grif complaining, but shut up immediately as he heard the broadcast repeating itself again and again, coming from the speakers at the wall of the mess hall  
It was 34:54 on Chorus. In the middle of the night. (Days on Chorus have 36 hours. 20-24 hours working, rest of the hours resting, relaxing and sleeping).

Beside Simmons, there were some recruits standing and talking about the broadcast. As of their talking, this repeating broadcast began about 40 minutes ago. The last of the army stationed here were just arriving. It took some time to find and wake everyone up, waiting for them to get dressed in their armor and showing up in the mess hall.

Grif and Simmons were late because of Grifs sound sleep. The recruits trying to wake him up had no chance to achieve the order given, as Grif was sleeping so soundly. They tried all different ways, until Tucker showed up, throwing a bucket with cold water at Grif – Bucket included. Luckily Simmons was already awake and up as Tucker woke the ‘sleeping beauty’ – As he liked to call Grif – up.  
Unfortunately, the teal armored soldier wouldn’t have to deal with a cranky and whining Grif. He was always like that when he got woken up in the middle of the night with such harsh measurements. At least Simmons thought that Grif would be cranky and whiny.

Instead of bitching around for getting woken up in the middle of the fucking night, Simmons saw him blinking hard, trying to proceed the information coming out of the speakers in the hall. And he wasn’t the only one. As Grif turned his face to look at Simmons, the cyborg saw a perfect mirror of his own expression on the face of his boyfriend. It took some more time until the Hawaiian finally seemed to be able to say something.  
“Dude, they aren’t shitting us, right? Tell me they don’t. That would be the biggest dick move ever.”  
“Uhm, I don’t know exactly…” began Simmons, but immediately corrected himself as he saw Grifs pleading expression. “But I don’t think they would make a joke of such an important thing.” assured the cyborg with a smile.

Gently, the irish-dutch man laid an arm around Grifs shoulders, pulling him close with a gentle tug. The tanned man complied, shuffling closer. The cyborg could feel how an arm also snuck around his waist. Grey had kept her promise and operated Grif, cutting away the loose skin and treating the hard flesh of the scars, making it possible that there would also appear smooth skin. Tracing his fingers over Grifs body he couldn’t tell where the scars were by now, because Grey made such an awesome work.  
Since the surgery, Grif was a completely different person. At least on the outside. He had been fat some months ago, later the skin was hanging loose as he lost weight. The scars had bothered him because they often hurt. They even hurt when he got touched. Simmons often felt and saw him squirming away when he touched one of the scars. Since the surgery it was different. The cyborg could trace is fingers over the scars, caressing and kissing them, and Grif wasn’t squirming away, not even showing the slightest sign of pain.

Okay, Grif still was a bit chubby, but he looked much better now. And to be honest, Simmons liked it when his boyfriend was a bit chubby. Being slightly chubby was something what made Grif out. Being chubby belonged to Grif like the freckles to Simmons.  
Thanks to Greys surgery skills and Washs drills, Grif had gotten pretty damn handsome.

Speaking of Wash and the Freelancer. Carolina just appeared on the stage at the back end of the mess hall. Since Felix and Locus disappeared, she had taken over the place of the advisor and reasonable voice of him. Unlike Felix, she did a much better job than the merc ever could have done, because her intentions were different from them of Felix. Better. Actually, with the goal to stop the war and lead Chorus to a stable peace which would stay even after they left.

Right behind Carolina, Kimball appeared, and on one of the thousands screens in the hall, Doyles face appeared.  
“I’m sorry to wake you up so late, but as you already heard, we received an important message.” With a motion of her hand the volume increased and all attendees listened to the radio call, repeating itself since an hour without interruption. The volume turned back and Kimball spoke up again. On the muted screen to her left, Simmons saw Doyle talking to ‘his’ part of the army.

“This broadcast goes to all armies in the universe.” Explained Kimball superfluously, before getting to the point. ”Command, most important the Chairman, is dead! The war is over!” her face darkened a bit as she continued. “But that doesn’t mean for us to lean back and relax. We still have work to do here. We are far from having a stable peace here on Chorus. And as long as this peace isn’t established and stable, we cannot rest. But when we achieve this goal, we can finally relax and enjoy the peace which is long overdue, after years of constant fighting.” There were some single cheers, but shut immediately as Kimball continued. “The only bad news I have for you is, that our friends,” with this she made another motion with her hand towards the Blood Gulch Crew before continuing. “will leave us to return to their home world.” Immediately all eyes were on the guys and girls of said team.

Wash cleared his throat to get the attention of everyone. The recruits were all waiting for something of the Blood Gulch Team. Just something. A denying or approving statement, something to explain the further steps of their friends and heroes. “That is true. But first it’ll take some months until we’re actually able to return. The ships of the confederation won’t be here so fast. Besides, we all decided to help you through the process to build up a stable peace here on Chorus. We won’t leave in the middle of it.” The other Sim-troopers nodded approvingly and some of the Chorianer applauded.

“Secondly, we’re in the time in which interstellar travels are like driving to the neighboring town.” Explained Wash with a smile, Kimball making him continue with an arched eye brow and a motion of her hand. “Meaning, we still can visit each other You can visit us on earth and we can visit you guys here on Chorus. We promise that we won’t leave without return. We are friends and we stay friends and we can stay in touch if you wish so.”

“Absolutely, we would be honored if you really would visit or invite us to your home planet.” Replied the leader of the rebels with a wide smile and this time the soldiers of said army began cheering and applauding. The same emotions came over from Doyles side, as they apparently had broadcasted the speech of Wash to the feds. And they also seemed to be happy about the decision of the Blood Gulch Team.

“Okay, we’d like you to fill in the form which is sent on your data pad. This form will help to organize and schedule the transports to your home effectively and as fast as possible. So it’s necessary that you fill in the information as correct as possible. Please try to do it in the next two days.” Several soldiers took the data pad and indeed, there was an envelope on the screen, indicating an arrived and unread message. Kimball continued. “To celebrate this victory, Doyle and I decided to give you the next three days holidays. To collect new strength for the last way to our goal.”

Loud cheering came from everywhere in the mess hall, accompanied by applause, also of the Blood Gulch Crew. Now that the Chairman was defeated and the war was over, even with the aliens, the peace talks on Chorus would be much more relaxed than before. And hopefully they will go on faster now.

Returning to the house the Blood Gulch Crew lived in, Simmons already read the form and what information they needed. He knew that he would have to do Grifs too if he wanted it to be filled in correctly. But Simmons didn’t mind. He already suspected it to be like that.

Up in the room, Grif immediately stripped out of his armor and flopped onto the bed. Also the cyborg got rid of the armor and slipped in his civvies. But he decided to fill in the form now, otherwise he would forget it.  
Taking Grifs data pad, he filled in the information of his name, rank, actual location, home planet (Incl. country), planet where he wanted to go after the war (incl. Country), additional information (health state, allergies, etc.), and much more other information. The same was with Simmons form. He filled in the information, but stopped shortly as he wrote in the country he wanted to go to. He almost wrote Minnesota in the form of home country, where he wanted to go to after the war.

After some moments of thinking it through, he deleted the entry, to replace it with the information ‘Hawaii’. Grif always said he wanted to go back to Hawaii when the war was over. And they were a couple since some months. Simmons didn’t want to leave Grif to go back ‘home’.  
The place where he grew up wasn’t his home. His home was where Grif was. And the words of Grif were still very fresh in his mind. ‘Simmons, if your parents treated you that bad, I wouldn’t return to them. It’s only my personal opinion, but I would move somewhere else, building up a better, and most important, my own life.’

Sending the form he put his maroon data pad on the bedside table. Right beside Grifs orange one. Said Hawaiian was lying on his belly, observing the irish-dutch man through a half closed lid. The aqua blue eye shimmered under the sandy blonde hair.  
He was already halfway back asleep. Simmons laid down, turning around and embraced his boyfriend.

“Are we really going back home?” muttered Grif, nuzzling his face in Simmons chest, exhaling deeply.  
“Yeah Grif, we’re going back. We’re going to Hawaii.”  
Grif seemed to stop shortly before lifting his head and looking up to Simmons. “You’re coming with me?”  
“Yes, I come with you. I wrote in the form that I want to go to Hawaii. The place I grew up isn’t my home. You’re my home now.”  
“Heh…” Grifs genuine and open smile was absolutely infectious. Simmons couldn’t help but smile too, before leaning down and kissing his love.

“Let’s get some sleep. I don’t think that Wash would let you slip the drills just because Kimball agreed in giving us some days off.” Simmons nuzzled his face in Grifs hair as they separated.  
The only answer of Grif was a whine, like he got kicked, but didn’t beef about it. He just shuffled closer, making sure to be as close as possible to Simmons before falling back asleep again.

 

* * *

 

It was almost midnight – according to the time on Chorus – and Carolina, Wash and Ala still were working. They somehow managed it to get the holographic room running without bigger issues. As they managed it, the Special Ops made a short training round, just to test out the room and to blow off some steam. Ala soon would coax Wash into stopping work and getting some sleep. Was often forgot to sleep because of his insomnia. Of when he would be ready for some sleep, he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep because he was too tired. It was schizophrenic. Sometimes you were too tired to sleep.

Caro once stated that, since Ala was having an eye on Wash, he looked better. He still had the dark rings under his eyes because the three of them were working more and harder than the other soldiers around here. But he at least got regular and decent sleep.

Instead of going back home and sleep, they were now gathering in the mess hall because of a radio transmission they got some minutes ago. The room was almost empty, but within minutes, it was stuffed with people. Even Simmons and Grif showed up, bleary-eyed and slightly swaying because they just got up.

Alaska was standing beside Wash, her back straight and shoulders square. Wash did the same – Even as he spoke. It was like an unspoken agreement that he would speak for all the people of the Blood Gulch Crew.  
While Wash and Kimball talked, Ala zoned off a bit. Normally she would call herself back to order, but this time, she thought it wouldn’t be that bad to zone off a bit.

The radio call had said that the chairman was dead and the war was over. That they could go home. After years of fighting they were finally able to move on and have a live beside the war. She was unsure. Alaska was so used to the constant fighting and the war here, but she also had the intention that she would be able to accustom to the civilian live soon.  
Would they all be able to find back in the lives of civilians? Would they be able to act like normal people after that?

“Earth to Ala. Somebody in there?” snapping back to reality she blinked hard as she saw Tuckers face in front of her. He was waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention. According to his face, he had been calling her for several times now.  
“Uh sorry, I was in thoughts. What did you say?”  
“Pretty obvious. I said you should go and get Wash into bed. He’s almost falling asleep standing.”  
“I planned on getting him to sleep a bit before the radio transmission started.”  
Tucker nodded satisfied and turned around walking away towards the house.

Beside her she could see that Wash was thinking hard. He seemed even deeper in thoughts than Ala had been. Taking his hand she got his attention. She could see that he was getting back to the world here because he turned his head and looked at her questioningly.  
“Let’s go back to the house. We should get some sleep.”

Wash didn’t reply and Ala took it as a positive answer to walk to the house, dragging the Freelancer along at his hand. She knew that a message was on their data pads.

Arrived at the house, showered and dressed in their civvies, Ala began looking through the form on the data pad. She filled in all information except of the country she wanted to go to. She would want to go back to earth. But she had no clue where to go.

The door opened and Wash came in, sitting down beside her and also grabbing for his grey and yellow patterned data pad. Alas was white with a huge blue dragon on it. “You already filled in your form?”  
“Almost.” Ala sighed and stretched her sore limps.  
“Almost?” Asked Wash, looking at her with an arched eye brow.  
“Yeah, I didn’t fill in to which country I want to go. Because I don’t feel like going to Germany. I don’t want to be alone and except of me all of you live in the states.”

Wash sat there shortly, before he stood up again. “Come with me.” Said Wash, taking his and her data pad. “What? Where?”  
“You’ll see.”

Some minutes later, all of the Blood Gulch Crew were gathered in the living room, Wash standing in front of them.  
“I know it’s late, but I’m sure everyone of you made their thoughts about where to go after the war.” Began Wash, getting the attention of the team.  
“Some of us are unsure and I would like to help everyone of you to find his place he belongs to.”

Donut peeked up, saying. “How about we all move to the same state? We wouldn’t be so alone like that.”  
Wash looked in the round. Not even Sarge was arguing against it. They all were so used to each other, that a separation of several hundred or thousand kilometers seemed impossible.  
“Did anyone already fill in the form to where he wants to go?” asked Ala, and Simmons lift his hand.  
“Where do you guys go?” asked the Special Ops the two men. She knew that they both would go together.

“Hawaii.” Answered Simmons shortly and Ala nodded. Well, that was quiet obvious. Grif came from Hawaii and always said that he wanted to go back there after the war. Simmons just tagged along with the chubby Hawaiian and Alaska was sure that Simmons felt home where Grif was.

Was mustered the other guys. “How about you guys?”  
“As long as it isn’t snowing.” Muttered Sarge. He had some kind of anticipation against snow since the fight with the Meta.

“Everyone else?” Wash mustered each one of the guys sitting there. Each of them nodded and after thirty minutes, they all had filled in the forms, Ala took over filling in the form for Caboose, written that they wanted to move to Hawaii. There still was the possibility to move away when it got too much for one of them.

The forms were filled in and Ala made a short info to Kimball to help the recruits with the forms the next day. Wash already told Tucker and Grif that they were keeping up the drills, no matter if they had some days off. Tucker and Grif commented this announcement with loud groans and a lot of belly aching. But Wash was incorruptible. He stood by his announcement.

After everyone went to bed and Ala told Caboose a good-night-story until he fell asleep, also the two Special Ops were able to finally lay down.  
“You think we all in Hawaii would work?”  
“I can’t tell you, but we try it and if it doesn’t work some of us could still move away. But I think it’s best to suck and see, ne?”  
Wash exhaled through his nose, smiling lightly. “I guess so.”  
Ala smiled back. “See. Now let’s get some sleep.”

Leaning over she kissed the Freelancer, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him down on the bed, making him lay atop of her.


	2. Four Seven Niner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blood Gulch Crew arrives at the space ship, which brings them back to earth. And have an unexpected recounter.

Months had passed since the radio call and the day had come a Pelican landed on the square in the middle of the new capital town of Chorus, called heroes place. In the middle of the square was a huge fountain and on this fountain were the statuary of the Blood Gulch Crew, carved into marble and put on top of the fountain as reminiscence of the heroes, who saved the planet.

 

It was strange to look at yourself carved in marble, to say the least. Unlike her, Tucker, Grif, Sarge and Donut were marveling their likeness made of marble.

 

The united army of Chorus had gathered on the place, as well as most of the inhabitants of the planet who could afford coming themselves. The people not being able to watch the spectacle personally were able to see it over hundreds of cameras, filming the spectacle.

It was hard to say good-bye and Ala couldn’t stop a tear from escaping her eye. But they all knew that they would return to visit them. They wouldn’t be gone and away forever. They would stay in touch.

 

Mounting the Pelican the Blood Gulch Crew waved to say good-bye to the people standing there. They had become close friends and it always hurt to leave them. But this here was not their home, their planet. They would come back, but they all didn’t want to stay here.

 

Looking back one last time to the planet, where the buildings and the planet itself got smaller and smaller by each moment passing, Ala sighed deeply. A hand took hers, squeezing it gently. Turning her head she smiled to Wash. The Freelancer wasn’t able to see her smile, but Ala knew that Wash knew her long enough to know that she was smiling. “They’ll be alright without us.”

“Yeah I know.” Replied Ala, squeezing Washs hand the same way he did before.

 

Arriving at the space ship floating in the orbit of the planet, they docked on at one of the docks. It wasn’t much of a bit show. It was common procedure for the soldiers. Hopping out of the Pelican, the first the girls and guys of the Blood Gulch Crew noticed was a harsh barking order of a woman in a silver armor with steel trims and a pilot helmet. Obviously Carolina and Wash seemed to know her, as they both stilled in their way to the gate immediately.

 

“Four seven niner?” asked the grey-yellow freelancer incredulously. Said soldier spun around, putting her fists in her hands. “Whoever the fuck you are, I dare you to use this name-“ she cut herself off as she saw the two Freelancers standing in front of the group.

“Stone the crows! Washington and Carolina! I thought you guys are dead!” exclaimed the soldier, taking off her helmet and blinking at the two as if she wasn’t trusting in what her eyes showed her.

 

“We thought the same of you too. At least I saw you shortly before the ship crashed.” Replied Carolina, now also taking off her helmet, followed short by Wash.

“I was on a supply run on the planet then. York radioed me that there was a raid going on on the ship and I shouldn’t come back if I want to get out alive. That’s why I abandoned the ship and everyone as of Yorks information most likely anybody would survive. I sold the food on the ship and became a mercenary, or better said, a Freelancer.” Explained the pilot with a low chuckle, obviously enjoying herself making such a word play.

 

“So you only survived because you bolted.” Stated the grey-yellow armored Freelancer.

“Something like that.” Agreed the pilot, before she observed the soldier attentively. “I already heard that you went through a lot of stuff after the crash. But I didn’t believe it. Looks like I have to revise my opinion.”

Right, Ala shifted uncomfortably in the background. Four Seven Niner knew Wash from earlier. His childish, clumsy way, who ended more often with his foot in his mouth than not.

 

With a short nod, she indicated the others to follow the soldier who would bring them to their quarters and show them around. They didn’t had to stay here and listen to something maybe private, of which they weren’t thought to know.

 

Ala still kept in the background, even as Epsilon suddenly appeared. Immediately he got eyed by the pilot. “Ah, and you must be either Iota or Eta, right?” Her voice was as cheerful as usual. Right, Carolinas initial AIs were Eta and Iota. So it was only logical did she think that the hologram was one of them.

 

“The fuck? Did you hit your head on the Pelican or what’s wrong with you lady?”

“Epsilon!” hissed Carolina, making the sassy hologram shut up.

“Huh? Epsilon? I thought that’s the name of Washs AI?” the eyes of Four Seven Niner wandered questioningly over to the grey-yellow armored Freelancer who was cringing. “He was supposed to. But it didn’t go so well. That’s why they took him away again. He joined up with Carolina after we took down the Project.”

 

“Right, there were rumors that the Project went on in the shadows and that the director died only some years ago.”

“Exactly.” Cut Carolina in firmly. “He was a broken man. Unlike the people saying, he killed himself. And that’s not only meant in triggering the gun himself.” Her voice was firm, but there was a slight note of pain in it.

“And what happened to the rest of the AI? The purple and the green guys?”

 

This time it was Wash who answered. His lips were pressed together into a fine line, his body language giving away that he was uncomfortable. Ala stepped beside the Freelancer, laying her hand on his lower arm to soothe his uneasiness.

“I had to delete them. The Meta got all of them and Alpha helped me. I couldn’t allow it that the Meta would keep them.”

“Hm, that’s hard I guess. I know how much Theta clung to North. And how good Delta and York came along.” Her voice was a bit sad, but brightened up immediately. “Oh by the way, how are they?”

As no answer came of the Freelancers, her shoulders slumped again. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

 

As nobody answered, Ala explained shortly to the pilot. “The people here are the left-overs of Project Freelancer.”

Again, silence settled before the silver armored woman looked to the woman in white and blue armor. “I don’t remember you. What’s your name?”

“Alaska.”

“Oh, but wasn’t Agent Alaska a man?” this time her confused glance wandered over to the two Freelancers. Unlike the sad situation at hand, they couldn’t help but smile to that, while Ala hastily explained. “I’m no Freelancer. I’m a Special Ops, yes, but no Freelancer. And Alaska is my real prename.” This earned her a curious glance of the Pelican-pilot. “I’m German. And Alaska is an official legal name to call a child there. I don’t know why my parents are so fond of this fucking cold and snowy part of the world, but they obviously thought it’s a good idea to name me after that.”

 

“Oh, so you joined Carolina after that?” Obviously she was thinking that she teamed up with Carolina as Ala knew so much about the Project.

“No not exactly. I was part of the Blood Gulch Crew before Wash joined and got my CO.” this comment brought Wash an appreciative glance of the pilot, whilst Alaska continued. “But after the crash of the Mother of Invention, I was the one who found North, South and Theta. I also patched them up. Until… I had to leave.”

 

“Why did you had to leave?”

Ala turned her head away, not wanting to tell what happened. North had been one of her closest friends. So Theta. And both were dead. Instead of Alaska, Wash then answered. “South killed him. Ala managed to escape before getting the next victim.” It was a short statement what made Ala feel like the walls would cave in within the next moments. Unlike before, Wash was now the one soothing Alaska, laying an arm around her hips.

 

“Oh, uhm, I’m sorry then.” Muttered the pilot. She knew that it was better to not say more. The four all knew first-hand how jealous South had been towards North. And how violent and vicious she could have gotten.

While the Freelancers and the pilot were just standing there, obviously remember the good old times, Ala let her eyes wander over the place, seeing a Pelican standing there. It was old and dented, some places had slight rust and there were some traces like someone overpainted something with paint.

 

“Is that the Pelican from back then?” asked the Special Ops, mustering the old tin can.

“Absolutely!” Immediately the face of the pilot lit up. Carolina and Wash already knew her feeble for machines and planes. Ala would get to know it now. Immediately Four Seven Niner beamed over to the ship before she beamed to Alaska. “That’s the ship I flew the guys to their missions. Including the dents from back then when Carolina pulled Wash in with the grabbing hook!” Wash groaned whilst the three girls began to giggle.

 

“I had to laugh so hard back then I was almost not capable to hold the bird still so that he wouldn’t bang to the sides too!” Wash muttered something under his breath and Ala could feel the head radiating from his face without looking. Good Wash still was embarrassed as fuck when it came to that.

“I’m surprised it survived so long.” Remarked the black haired woman then, observing the ship.

“I repaired everything myself! Even back in Freelancer. Nobody was allowed to lay hand on Missy except of me!”

“Missy?”

“That’s the name of my baby over there.” With a huge grin the pilot pointed over her shoulder to the Pelican.

 

Alaska only let hear an ‘ah’ before shutting up again and listening to the chatter of the three former members of Project Freelancer.

As the leader of the aerie called Four Seven Niner to work, they had to quit their chatting, but promised to see each other.

Just before the pilot left, Alaska called her back. “Sorry, I didn’t quite get your real name?”

“That’s because I didn’t tell it to you honey. But I’m Serena. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Taking the outstretched hand, the white-blue armored soldier showed a genuine smile to the introduction.

 

After that, the left the hangar to let Four Seven Niner to her work. Walking to their quarters they got, Alaska already could tell that Carolina and Washington were happy to meet at least one friend from the old days safe and sound again. And not as dead bodies like the rest.

 

* * *

  

The quarters were _massive_. Simmons couldn’t help but gaping about the huge corridors with loads of quarters. As of logic, the quarters got filled from back to forth. So they had to walk to the middle of the arc with the quarters. That they only had to walk half the way made it very clear that the ship had already lots of soldiers from other parts of the world on board.

 

While taking the quarters, Simmons also thought of informing the quarter master, that they needed two quarters more for the three soldiers, who would come later. Luckily the quarter master didn’t question this request of Simmons. He was weirded out enough from the previous demand that Grif and Simmons would take one quarter and would need only one bed – But maybe a bigger one if possible.

 

Entering the quarter, Simmons was astonished by the dimension of the quarter. The door was in the middle of one of the walls. To the right hand, behind a sideboard, there was a huge bed. It was almost as wide as the combined bed of Grif and Simmons had been back on chorus. There were sideboards and shelves to two sides, cornering the bed. The sideboard at the door was slightly further away to allow a little bedside table to be put there. There was also a small gangway so that you could walk around.

 

On the opposite of the bed was a huge window with an artificial landscape and a daily change of light to keep up the daily rhythm. Right beside the right window frame was a television with some channels to zap through.

 

On the left side of the entry way of the room, there was another sideboard. Behind that, there was a comfy looking couch with cussions and a quilt. Perfect to lay down after an exhausting working day. Right beside the couch, between the window and the couch, there was a small kitchen. A sink, two hot plates, a small fridge and some shelves.

 

The quarter master already had told them that they would get lunch in the big mess hall, but it was always better to have a small kitchen on his own when making something extraordinary or missing lunch. The fridge was mostly designed to take beverages. Cans, bottles, any many more.

 

With a happy sight the Hawaiian flopped onto the bed, stretching out his limbs. Simmons smiled happily to the view of Grif on the bed. He took Grifs bag, which was thrown carelessly on the floor, and carried it with his over to the couch. He put them down there, beginning to unpack the sea bags. They didn’t had much. Besides the armors, which took the most space in the bags, they had the body suit for under it. Some underwear for about a weeks use, some civvies and some street clothes. That was about it. They hadn’t used more during the last years as they were mostly wearing their armors all the time. The underwear and street wear were from chorus, where they used it regularly for official meetings where they weren’t supposed to wear the armor.

 

“Why don’t you come over and lay down a bit?”

“Nowish. Just putting away the clothes.” Just as he wanted to walk over to the bed, Simmons remembered an item in his bag. Taking it out, he carried it over and put it on the sideboard on the top side of the bed. “Huh? What’s that?” asked Grif, turning around slightly to get a glance on the picture.

 

Before he would put his neck off by craning it around like that, the cyborg took the frame down and gave it Grif with a warm smile. “That a picture Donut made back in Blood Gulch. He said it is the way we were every day. I asked him if he would give me the picture. He even framed it for me.”

“Huh? That’s how we were all the time?” asked the Hawaiian with a grin. The cyborg couldn’t help but reply the smile and chuckle lowly. “Yes. He said that we were always bantering. And if we weren’t bantering, you were cracking jokes and I commented it like that.”

 

He pointed on the picture. Simmons and Grif weren’t wearing their helmets. They almost never did when they were in red base. In the background was the kitchen. It looked like they had been at lunch there, because there were some bread crumbs clinging to Grifs chin. Said man was grinning broadly, as if he had told something absolutely funny. Simmons on the opposite was rolling with his eyes, playing the annoyed one who didn’t find the jokes funny. But he couldn’t hide a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth then.

 

Brushing over the picture, he almost felt nostalgic and a bit sad about what he saw there. At least the picture showed Grifs right and Simmons left side.

The cyborg swayed slightly as Grif sat up on the bed, moving over to sit beside his boyfriend. He leaned closer laying his head on Simmons shoulder. “Hey, what’s up?” his voice was low and full of sympathy.

 

“It’s just… I never realized that the picture had been taken before the accident.” Muttered Simmons, looking down on the picture. Again brushing over the place on the picture where Grifs mouth was, as if he wanted to wipe away the crumbs hanging in his stubbles. It was so typical for Grif. He never was the disciplined one two shave every day.

 

“It had been taken before the accident, that’s true, but I don’t know what you mean by that.” Said Grif, lifting his head and looking at Simmons. Back then, they had their own bodies. And were not a mix of two people or a mix of human and robot.

It was like Grif read his thoughts. Well, after living together for years, it wasn’t that much of a surprise if you know the other one like yourself.

“Hey, it’s okay. I wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t done what you have done. Because you saved me. Never forget that, okay?”

 

There was a long silence in which the cyborg didn’t answer. The Hawaiian sighed heavily. “Simmons.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay.” It didn’t sound convinced, but he never had been when it came down to that. Nudging his shoulder, Grif tried to get back his attention. “Look. And if we’re back on earth, we can look if we find a good doc. I’m sure he can at least make something that the metal body parts aren’t so obviously visible. What do you think?”

“I don’t know…”

“Okay, a doc after coming back to earth will it be.” Finished the Hawaiian this discussion.

 

It wasn’t only a dream anymore they often used to talk about. Now it was something they could talk about for real. And it was thrilling. He never thought that it would once become real. And now they were on a huge ship, called Savannah if he listened closely to the quarter master, and flying back home. And they soon would be home and able to pay Simmons a surgery to soothe his pain in his scars and maybe make something like artificial skin to hide the metallic body parts. Who knows, maybe the medicine today was advanced enough to let new body parts grew with your DNA? Just like lizards?

 

“Hey Grif.”

“Yeah, Simmons?”

“Is this really true? That the war is over? That we never have to fight again?”

“They said so. And after all we went through. We even were around as we kicked the butt of the chairman. I think it’s true that the war is over.” assured Grif. And when he would waver and ask if they really were honest with what they said, that the war was over, it would be Simmons to assure that it was true.

It was always like that.

 

Smiling, the cyborg cupped Grifs face, placing a soft and loving kiss on his lips. As they then separated as far as they needed to, Simmons looked in Grifs eyes. “What do you think? Shall we go exploring the ship and look for the canteen. I’m sure you’re hungry until we find the mess hall.”

“Until we find the mess hall? I’m already starving!” exclaimed the Hawaiian, a wide grin splitting his face in anticipation.

 

Simmons didn’t really had the chance to say something, let alone put on his sneakers properly, as Grif already grabbed his hands and had pulled him out of their room. Luckily their rooms were programmed on their finger prints. Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get back in the room. Grifs departure was so fast that they would have forgotten their access cards for sure.


	3. Elbon 6

Some days passed since the Blood Gulch Crew boarded the ship and was on their way back to their home planet – Earth. Since some days, Ala had lost track on the days; they were travelling in the hyperspace. The captain of the ship told them that they would stay at maximum one week in the hyperspace, as they would reach their next stop then. A group of planets with soldiers which wanted to return home to earth too. But the travels in the hyperspace always messed up her inner calendar.

As scheduled, the ship should take about six months from Chorus to earth, mostly travelling with almost light speed, jumping from one planet to another to take up all the people on their passenger list.

Most of the discussions of the Blood Gulch Team were now about getting home. How it would be, what they wanted to do when arriving there, what they thought of the future, and many more. When the subject came to Hawaii, Grifs eyes used to light up immediately as he began rambling about his home. The legends, the island, the flora and fauna, the things you can do there and many more. He was so persistent with his talk about Hawaii, where they decided to go to, that the others of the Crew now reached a point where they just rolled their eyes and let him talk – Ignoring him for most of the time. Even Simmons did so. But Alaska sometimes really asked herself how this guy could ignore Grif completely and still catch up information on the island.

Just now, Grif wasn’t rambling about Hawaii. To be honest, he was in a silly argument about his table manners with his boyfriend.  
“Can’t you just eat like a normal person!?”  
“I am eating like a normal person.”  
“You’re eating like a pig you fat-ass! Look at you! Your whole face is red with tomato sauce!”  
“That’s only proof that I like it. Not everybody is eating like the aristocats you nerd!”  
“You mean aristocrats.” Retorted Simmons, arching one of his eyebrows, whilst some of the reds and blues snickered.  
“Whatever!” groaned Grif, before again focusing on his Spaghetti.

“Oh I love that movie! Can we watch it again? Please? Please?” Caboose interrupted, almost jittering on his chair.  
“Sure we can Caboose.”  
“Oh yeah! I love singing cats!” hollered the dark blue armored soldier, making the table almost tumble. At the other tables, heads were turned around and curious glances thrown into their direction.  
Caboose was a mountain of a man, but he wasn’t always fully aware of his strength. What often caused the table or other furniture go to waste and people staring at them or Caboose.

Ala replied one of the glances until the young man, who was staring over to them, looked away. Afterwards, she turned to Caboose. “But only if you are a nice boy and eat up your food and let the table live, okay?” Added the black haired, what caused Caboose to look down on his plate and continue eating. Wash beside her snickered lowly. It was so easy to trick the blue armored Freelancer. But dare you if you forget about the Artistocats-thing. Then he would pout and cry until you apologize about a thousand times and watch the movie the same amount as you apologized.

“Hey Ala.” The voice of Tucker came over, slightly muffled by the food in his mouth. But unlike Grif, he first swallowed before taking up his speech. “You once said you are a Special Trooper, but not a Freelancer. And as I remember, you said all your team members are dead. But you actually never told us of which Platoon you were part of.”  
Ala knew, that Tucker might be only curious, but this question struck a nerve and the pain wailed up again as she thought about her friends and brothers and sisters in arms.  
Looking down on the table, she remembered the happenings back then. Her stomach dropped and she didn’t feel like eating anymore. Beside her, she noticed a shuffling, followed by an arm laid around her shoulders.

“Sorry I didn’t meant to tear open old wounds.” Mumbled Tucker, looking over to Ala with an apologetic look. The Special Ops Trooper only exhaled deeply.  
“Elbon-Team.”  
“Sorry what?” asked Tucker, looking at Ala with confusion written in his eyes.  
“It was the Elbon-Team I was part of. After the basic training and some years of normal service, I got asked to join the Elbon Team on Chare.” Explained the black haired. Wash beside her tensed up, but Alaska didn’t know why he did.

“Wait a sec.” the heavy southern accent cut in before anyone else could say something. “I thought tha Elbon-Team got beaten badly by the badass-aliens?”  
There was a sad smile on Alas face. “Well yeah, it’s said. Because nobody knows that I actually got away. Sarge, you’re so into military history. What do you know about the whereabouts of Elbon No. 6?”  
Sarge made a thinking face, obviously going through the information he gathered from the records. “Let me see. Elbon 1 died in flying his Pelican in a Scarab. Noble 2 died during the fight around Alexandria.”  
“Kat got shot in the head by an alien sniper.” Explained Ala, filling in the gap in Sarges memory. “Right, shot in the fucking head. I bet she hadn’t even seen it coming.” It was odd, but somehow Ala knew that Sarge was trying to comfort her. The sad smile reappeared while shaking her head. “No, she hadn’t even time to realize what happened as she already was dead.”

“Mhm.” Harrumphed the oldest among of them, before continuing. “Elbon 3, let me think, he survived. He was part of the team which chose new Spartans for Special Troopers later.”  
That caused Ala to rise an eye ridge. She hadn’t known that he survived. “Yeah, but I heard that he then died in a battle against an alien army some years ago.”  
“Thanks Sarge. It’s good to know what happened to my friend.”  
“Ya didn’t know?”  
“No Sarge, I didn’t. I lastly saw him taking off with another Pelican when we blew up the sword base.” Explained the last remnant of the Elbon-team.

“Well, yeah, anyway. Elbon 4 died while taking out alien ships with a mass accelerator.”  
“They run over the haven where the Pillar of Autumn was stationed. He shot the way free for the ship.” Added Ala, thinking of her friend with the skull painted on his visor. Grumpy looking but kind at heart.  
“Well, Elbon 5… I remember him dying in some kind of big Krawumms.”  
“You could say that.” Now Ala had to laugh about the colorful description of that. “We planned on destroying an alien ship with a hyper engine. Unfortunately, the radio fuse got killed during the fight in the alien carrier. He stayed behind to make the bomb go off in the right moment. The big mother ship the carrier had attacked to was ripped apart in two. At least the mission had been successful.”

There was a short silence of Sarge, before he continued. The others at the table all fell silent and just listened to the recapitulation of the oldest member and the woman throwing in some information. Ala was sure that at least the smarter ones now knew that she was Elbon No. 6, but she didn’t care about that now.  
“Well, Elbon No. 6 was a special case. She helped in the fight for the sword base. She also was part of in the evacuation of New Luxor, finding and destroying the jamming stations.”

This time Carolina cut in. “One of them was in Errera. Which got blown up in the process.”  
“Yes.” Replied the black haired woman calmly. “It was the only way to get rid of the aliens. The place had been crowded with them.” The teal armored soldier fell silent, and Sarge took it as a sign to continue. “Elbon No.6 also survived the glazing of the city, before fighting her way through an ancient archeological excavation and afterwards to the dock of the Pillar of Autumn. I heard that whatever they found there, it caused human technology to make a huge jump forward to be at least on eye level with those fucking alien bastards.”

“That’s true. They found something there, which was of very high value. That was the reason why Noble 4 fell in the fight around the docks. He tried to shoot the sky clean from ships and buy time to make everything ready.” Explained Ala, making a movement with her hand for Sarge to continue. The oldest soldier cleared his throat again, obviously nervous.  
“Well, Elbon 6 stayed behind. As of the information, she managed to take out as twice as much alien as another Spartan ever would. In the end, Elbon 6 wasn’t lucky. They got her and she got killed.”

The whole group at the table fell silent for some minutes. Obviously, anyone wanted to say something or waited for Sarge to continue. While said soldier fidgeted nervously with the shotgun beside the table. Why eve he was carrying it around even now. But Ala stopped long ago asking herself about the habits of the Crew she was part of.  
“It is right, these assholes got Elbon 6. But they didn’t kill her. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t I?”

Grif, Donut, Caboose and Church sucked in air as they seemed to get what that meant.  
“So you made it. Obviously.” Stated Tucker, finding his voice first.  
“Yes, I was lucking and those bastards didn’t hit something vital while stabbing me in the gut. But I lost a lot of blood and my helmet. A Pelican in search for survivors picked me up and the medics patched me up again. They didn’t seem to know who I am as I lost my helmet and the radio signal of Elbon 6. I decided to let the guys believe that I died on the battlefield and took up my old name again. I didn’t want to be asked tons of questions and honored like a hero. What happens on Chare stays on Chare.”  
“Wait a second.” Interrupted the cyborg with a slightly squeaky voice. Luckily, he somehow seemed to at least manage it to speak normally with Ala. “What was about your dog tags?”

“They didn’t ask me for them. It was such a chaos during the fight around Chare that they didn’t as me for that. As long as you were able to speak, tell them your name, rank and your Platoon, they didn’t ask for more. Fuck, they didn’t even notice that I had two sets of dog tags around my neck. Luckily my ancient CO then managed it to somehow organize it that I got into the sands platoon where I met Tucker. Don’t ask me how that bastard managed it. He just did it.” Her voice became a fond note while talking of her former CO. He had been what you consider a real leader. Always with the soldiers, keeping their morale high, but also there if you needed someone to talk. He didn’t treat someone different because he couldn’t run as fast as the others or shoot as good as the others.

If he did something, he began training with said soldiers to improve the bad things to make them better. Although she felt honored by the fact that he sent her to the Elbon-team, she felt sad at the same time because she had to leave.  
“Pretty good CO then, huh?” asked Tucker, his voice obviously giving away that he didn’t made such good experiences with CO’s.  
“Yeah, at least this one. Sadly he died at a heart attack only three days after I arrived at the sands.”  
“If you tell me his name is Flowers I throw up.” Tuckers voice should sound disgusted.

Ala arched an eyebrow, but didn’t say something to that, only observing the teal soldier with amusement. The teal armored soldier snorted and crossed his arms, stubbornly replying her glance. She knew him too good to get fooled by his show. The thrumming of his fingers against his upper arm showed that he waited for her answer. The flickering of his eyes between her and Wash showed that he was unsure what he should think about the trail this conversation went down.

“No his name was Hollaway. Dunno if I know him.”  
Considering Tucker not replying, Alaska assumed that he didn’t heard this name before. Wash beside her nudged her shoulder. “Why do you have two sets of dog tags? Aren’t you supposed to drop your old ones if you change your name?”  
At least that happened to the Freelancers. They got new dog tags with their agent names imprinted. Their old names left behind if they accepted. The director had kept them until one of the soldiers left the army or died in the war. Only then, they would get the old dog tags back.

“Those dog tags aren’t mine.” Began Ala, searching her neck for the slightly rougher dog tags, before taking them out. On the tags was written Jorge on it.  
“Jorge? Isn’t that a boys name?”  
“It is.” Confirmed Ala Tuckers question.  
“But why do you have them?”  
“Dumbass, because Jorge was the name of Elbon 5.” Grunted Sarge from behind, gulping down another can of beer.

The eye of the dark skinned man wandered from Sarge back to Ala, mustering her questioningly. The former Special Ops member nodded. “Yes, those are the dog tags of Elbon 5. He gave them to me before he died in the Long night of solace.”  
“Long night of solace?” Tucker didn’t seem to catch the meaning.  
“That was the code word you find the mission details in the archives. That was when we blew up an alien ship with a hyper engine. Initially I wanted to give the tags to Elbon 1. But he said I should keep them as Jorge gave them to me.” With a bright clattering sound, the tags wandered through Alas fingers.

She remembered the moment very well. She didn’t want to leave. But Jorge literally grabbed her by her front armor and threw her out into space. Where she fell down on Chare. Pretty hard landing afterwards. She didn’t know how long she had been unconscious. As she had woken up, she saw New Luxor shrouded into a mantle of red and orange. Fire and alien ships everywhere. She sighed. This whole Elbon-stuff had been one huge fiasco. Which ended in four deaths, one feigned death and one survivor.

Ironically, only Ala survived until now. She from all, who feigned her death. But how does this old saying go? The condemned live longer.

After this discussion, neither of them seemed really in the mood to have another conversation. Except of Caboose, who still was bouncing like a rubber ball because he couldn’t wait to watch the Aristocats, and Grif and Simmons, again bantering about Grifs table manners – Or the non-existence of them.

As they all had eaten their meal, most of the people retreated. Grif and Simmons had some kind of noisy meeting as of Caboose. (Ala supposed Grif and Simmons meant banging and Caboose only made his very own conclusion out of it. However, noisy hit the bull’s eye pretty well too.)  
Ala and Wash shortly returned to their room to take a shower, they were training the whole day, before Wash searched through the library of the television for the movie Caboose wanted to see. Alaska meanwhile went over to Cabooses room to get the man.

Entering the room, she saw that the quartermaster had complied her wishes. There was no electrical device in Cabooses room. Better so. Ala didn’t want to get blown up so shortly before finally getting home.


	4. Family

The closing credits of the movie were just running over the screen. They were so damn boring. But Caboose insisted on watching them too. Because if he couldn’t see them completely, he couldn’t be sure that the movie really was over or just ended in the middle of it.  
Before the closing credits, there appeared a ‘fin’ in big and wide letters, but that didn’t count as of Caboose. Because everyone could write it there. Cabooses logic was sweet, sometimes difficult to understand, but the blue-white armored soldier mostly couldn’t help but to smile and feeling frustrated at the same time.  
That was like having a big kid.

Said ‘big kid’ was laying on the ground, in the middle of the room, propped up in thousands and thousands of pillows. He was laying on his belly, weight braced on his arms, and feet swinging back and forth in the air. The happy smile on Cabooses face showed pretty clear that he was more than happy to watch the movie. And he was blissfully unaware of everything else. He didn’t notice that Ala and Wash weren’t really paying attention to the movie all the time. Sometimes they stole some kisses from each other.

As the closing credits finally were over and the library with the movies available appeared, Ala stood up and stretched her limps. Her left shoulder made a disgusting cracking sound, but she didn’t care. Since she had a metal arm, her shoulder used to do that a lot.  
Walking over to the man laying on the belly and staring at the television with an almost disappointed glance, she crouched down beside him. Tapping on his shoulders she tried to get the attention of the blond haired man. “Come on Caboose. Time to go to bed.”

“But I’m not tired! And the cats stopped singing in the middle of it!”  
“Well, I’m sure they’re tired too. Because cats also need some rest. Just like human.”  
“You mean they will sing again soon?” Cabooses eyes lit up in anticipation.  
“Sure they will. But you know, they also need to be careful with their voices. “ What a logic, thought Ala as she spoke with the blue armored soldier. “You know, if you talk or sing too much, you could overburden your voice and loose it. And we don’t want the Aristocats to never sing again, right?”  
“Yeah, better let them sleep then.” Agreed Caboose, his face dropping a bit in disappointment.

“When do you think will they sing again?”  
Ala was so taken aback of this question, that she first would have answered tomorrow. But she knew what that would mean. A smile appeared on her lips. “Soon Caboose. You know what? I will ask them every day and tell you when they are okay again and ready to sing for you. Deal?”  
As fast as Cabooses face dropped before, as fast it lit up now. “Deal!” exclaimed the soldier happily.  
“Okay, but now it’s bedtime. You have to sleep enough to be ready for the next day.”  
“Yes, I have to sleep. Agent Washingsink says that too! Good night!” scrambling on his feet, he immediately left the room with a wave. He didn’t hear Wash groan.

Ala couldn’t help but grin widely as she turned around. “Nice nickname.”  
Again a groan while the Freelancer rubbed over his face. “I have told him again and again that my name has nothing to do with washing utensils. But he doesn’t get it!” exclaimed Wash in a desperate tone. The black haired woman snickered. “Come on, Wash. It isn’t that bad. He’s like a big five-years old with too much fantasy. Let him have his fun.”

Wash muttered something under his breath.  
“Sorry, what did you say?” the mocking tone wouldn’t pass by Wash unnoticed. Alaska was sure he would get her teasing tone. Sitting down on the couch beside Wash again, she looked at him with curiosity and glee in her blue eyes.  
“I said looking after Caboose is like having a kid for real. The only difference is that real kids grow up.”  
This desperate tone made Ala snicker again. “Come on, it isn’t that bad. At least he knows how to dress himself and survive halfway. If you have no electrical devices around him, he’s pretty much independent.”  
Wash huffed and leaned back on the couch, laying his head on the backrest. Ala didn’t comment on that, letting the silence take over for some minutes.

Caboose often was a pain in the ass. He was behaving like a baby but at the same time was really grown up for his mental state. He even knew what an AI was before all the others got it. He seemed to be really smart, but dumb at the same time. He was too independent to live in an asylum, but too dependent to live on his own. He needed someone to look after him. And as it looked at the moment, it would be one of the Blood Gulch Crew-Members to take over that task.  
But Washs remark some minutes ago brought her to another question.  
“Say Wash. You sounded like you hate kids.”

“I don’t hate them.” The grey-yellow armored soldier lift his head again, rubbing over his scar in his neck. “It’s just… I never thought of the possibility to ever get out of this war alive and young enough to have the possibility to start a family.”  
“And if you think about it now?” Ala was curious. How would he think of it?  
Another silence came up as Wash thought about the question.  
“Well, I don’t know…”  
“You don’t like children in general or just having on your own?” she was a bit disappointed, but she made her features unreadable, her voice normal but not giving away this emotion.

Was huffed again. “As I said, like kids. I don’t think I would be able to deal with Tucker and Caboose if I wouldn’t like children.” Stated Wash dryly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
“Fair point there.” Admitted Ala with a grin. The other two blues were behaving like kids. If you don’t like kids, you wouldn’t survive in blue team.  
“But that doesn’t answer my previous question.” Remarked Ala, bringing the subject back to the question.

“When I was young I often thought that I should have kids once. However, with the army, everything changed. I never thought of it again. Besides, I don’t know if it is a good idea. You know me being-“  
“Yeah you being bonkers. I already know that.” Waved Ala the remark off like an annoying fly. Wash furrowed his brows with slight irritation. “That’s what I’m saying, because it’s true. At least I was in an asylum.”  
Ala exhaled before turning around on the couch to face Wash directly. “Look Wash. We already discussed that point. You aren’t more or less bonkers than every normal person. I mean, fuck it, after what you went through, I wouldn’t be so sure if I would be sitting here, talking with you and being so stable like you are. I don’t even know if I still would be here.”

Washs grey eyes searched for hers, before locking gazes when he found them. “Every human is bonkers in his own way. Moreover, you went through a fucking lot of shit, that’s for sure. However, that doesn’t automatically mean that you’re not a good father. I mean, look how you treat Caboose. You’re trying to be understanding and patient even though he is a soldier.”  
“Caboose is a grown up man.”

“Well, yes and no.” answered Ala to Washs statement. “Physically, he might be grown up. However, not mentally. I guess he’s stuck somewhere between ten and fifteen.” Added Ala, before continuing. “What I want to say. You’re looking after him. You’re trying to meet his mental level to explain everything. You’re more patient than with the other kid of the team. I don’t think that you would be that much of a bad father.”  
“Hm…” hummed Washington as answer, but didn’t say more. Ala was aware of the fact that such a subject wasn’t discussed out in one day. It would take time to find out how Wash was thinking about different aspects of the private live. However, they made the first step and she was sure that the next ones would follow soon.

After some more minutes enjoying the silence and the presence of each other, Alaska got up again, suppressing a yawn. “Come on Wash, let’s go to bed. It’s late and we’re up for a training session tomorrow.”  
“Yeah, and leg days for Grif and Tucker.” Muttered the Freelancer tiredly, also getting up and heading towards the bathroom to get ready for bed and crash out with his girlfriend cuddled closely to him afterwards.

 

* * *

 

It was a fucking odyssey through the whole fucking ship just to find a store, which sold Oreos. Because Grif ate the last ones. Of course, he dragged Simmons along because he wouldn’t find his way back to their room and would have to starve to death until they would find him. Fucking hypocrite. So the cyborg was doomed to wander through countless hallways and taking elevators up and down, instead of reading a book in the silence of their room. Just fucking fantastic.

As of Simmons sense for time, it must be past midnight. Best of all, they just began walking back to their room. To get back it would take another halt an hour and until they were ready to crash out another half up to one hour. Fucking fantastic.  
Simmons was tired, the places, where his mechanical body parts connected to his human body parts, hurt like hell and he had a headache. And knowing that this night he would get less than five hours of sleep didn’t raise his mood.

It wasn’t surprising that the chewing sound from his right side unnerved him more than usually. Looking over to the Hawaiian, he could see that he had almost eaten one pack of those fucking sweets. “You know.” Began Simmons, his tiredness and discontent clearly displaying in his voice. “I’m not coming on another excursion through this ship the next days just because you stuff the Oreos in your face as if they’re water, fatass.”  
“They are like water for me, nerd!”  
Simmons only snorted but didn’t answer. He didn’t need to because Grif already continued.

“Besides, how am I supposed to survive without Oreos?”  
“You won’t die because you have to live one day without Oreos.” Snapped Simmons, clearly irritated. Grif only crossed his arms petulantly, looking to Simmons. “How would you know that!? I’m not gonna try it out and starve to death because I have no Oreos!”  
“You won’t die when you have no Oreos for one day!” insisted the cyborg. “It takes three weeks until you die from starvation!”  
“But if they’re like water, it takes only three days! And I don’t want to die! I have something to live for!”

Letting the first part of the sentence fall aside, the cyborg snorted. “Oh yeah? And what for example?”  
Grif looked at him somewhat offended. “Hey I live for my Oreos! They’re nowhere safer as in my stomach. Besides, if I wouldn’t be here, you would have nobody to screw crazy every night.” This time a huge shit-eating grin appeared on the Hawaiians face, whilst Simmons felt heat creeping up from the collar of his shirt, all over his face.  
“That’s- I- I’m-“ sputtered the irish-dutch man helplessly, before stopping his attempts of saying something and just stared at Grif angrily.

Said person only grinned wider, chuckling lowly. “Come on! Don’t say you don’t like it!” teased Grif his boyfriend, who turned an even darker shade of crimson. “Y’know, besides that, I can’t wait to get back home and go surfing and swimming. In addition, I promised you to show my Hawaii, haven’t I?”  
“Uhm, yes.” Muttered Simmons, still red in his face.  
“See, and that’s why I can’t afford to find out if I die when I don’t get my daily dose of Oreos.”

With that, Simmons annoyance flared up again. “But one thing has nothing to do with the other! You won’t die because you haven’t gotten Oreos for one day! In Blood Gulch you also didn’t had Oreos every day!”  
“That was the most horrible time I had! I felt like being on cold turkey! That’s torture!”  
“You weren’t on cold turkey because you haven’t gotten your Oreos, fatass.” Retorted Simmons, still stubbornly insisting on that.

“Oh yes? And how about if I take away your irish coffee? How would you feel, asshole!?”  
Again, there settled silence in between, both of them trying to stare each other down, knowing perfectly it wouldn’t work.  
After some minutes, the cyborg sighed in defeat. “Okay, then have your Oreos. Just tell it earlier next time when you’re out of Oreos and not in the middle of the night, dumbass.” Grif again showed his best shit-eating grin he was able to sport.

Both of them took up their way back to their room again. They had stopped some when during the fight to stare at each other without walking into something. Just before they reached the room, Simmons added. “But if I find crumbs in our bed again your sleeping on the couch!”  
“But that’s beach feeling! You don’t know what you’re missing, idiot!”  
“That has nothing to do with beach feeling you dumbass! That’s plain disgusting! I don’t want to change the bed sheets all day!”  
“As if you would change them only because I leave crumbs in the bed.” Again this shit-eating grin and again Simmons felt his face heat up.

“That- That has nothing to do with the other!”  
“Uh-hu, sure.”  
“It’s true!” insisted the cyborg, face flaming red.  
“Yeah, Yeah. Whatever. Let’s get back and sleep.” Again this smile. But this time it wasn’t completely shit eating.


	5. Beaten up

“I’m gonna die!”  
“Shut up, fatass. You’re not dying because you have to do some work-out.” Grunted Tucker, making his set of push-ups before dropping on the ground beside the Hawaiian.  
Grif let hear a pathetical whine before rolling on his back, limps spread out. “Why do we have to do the drills anyway? It’s not like we’re on Chorus anymore.”  
Tucker huffed, flinging one of his too long dreads back over his shoulder. “Dunno man. Wash was adamant about the drills. But I have no idea why.”

“Because it helps you.” Came Washs voice from behind, Tucker almost jumping through the roof, whilst Grif only groaned.  
“Helping what? Getting killed earlier than normally?” asked the Hawaiian, looking up to the Freelancer from his laying position.  
“No.” deadpanned Wash. “If you would do your drills, you would actually be able to reach and maintain a rudimentary level of fitness.” Explained Washington in a matter-of-fact voice.

“And how is it coming I don’t see you sweating?” asked Tucker, again fidgeting with a dread.  
“I already did training before breakfast. And when you’re done, I meet up with Carolina and Ala for some hand-to-hand combat training.” Walking past the two soldiers, he mustered them. Both of them had been in better shape back in Chorus. Since they boarded the ship, Wash had taken back the drills a little bit, because they didn’t need to be top fit anymore. Just… fit.

After some weeks, the muscles began to disappear and both of them became more like they had been before Washs drills. However, before Wash began with the drills, they had been worse. So keeping up with the momentary level would be enough to keep them fit without overdoing it.  
Additionally, even though Grif was complaining all the time about the exercises, he did them. If he would say that he didn’t want to do them anymore, Wash would have no point in keeping him. Because the war was over and he didn’t had the authority anymore to order him around.

Just the fact, that he still was doing the drills showed Wash that he got used to them and wanted to keep them up by his own free will. Although he always needed a good aimed kick in his butt to start moving.

 

* * *

 

Ala knew it would come. She just knew it. But she hoped it wouldn’t happen so fast. At their first day after boarding the ship, the group ran into a bunch of men.  
Rather young ones. Probably they only saw the end of the war, where everything already cooled down anyway. Not the fierce and bloodthirsty battles Ala and the others had to go through. They had close calls and near death experiences, had to see their friends die.  
The ex-Special Ops doubted that those guys actually had an idea about the cruelty of the war.

Anyway. They ran into them, and they immediately began to bully Grif and Simmons. Those homophobic assholes had seen them kiss and tried to bully them with words. But of no use. Grif flipped them off, making them leave with some good placed words.  
Ala and Carolina did the same as some idiots tried to hit on her. They were lucky they didn’t got a broken nose already back then.

Donuts cheery and obvious gay behavior also got commented, but the lightish red armored soldier somehow managed to get out of their line of fire. Maybe because he wasn’t acting like the perfect victim to bully.

The black haired woman just was on her way to the training ground. She had appointed in about ten minutes with Carolina and Wash to spar a bit. She already made her personal workout, but sparing was always something relaxing for her. Measuring your strength with others. Luckily the three of them were pretty even when it came to that.

Her train of thoughts got interrupted, as she hear a scream of pain coming from one of the hallways close to her. She knew this voice. It was Simmons! Another scream of agony, followed by laughter and some comments she didn’t want or couldn’t understand. The sounds underlining the laughter and the yelps of pain sounded like fists hitting something soft. Hitting a human body!

Immediately Ala began running towards the sound, grabbing her communication device out of her pocket.  
They all got their own device when boarding the ship to communicate with each other, without interfering the signals and frequencies of the ship. Skipping through the contact list, she found Grifs number. Rounding a corner, she heard the beeping and cursed inwardly. Couldn’t that lazy fuck get his phone over here for once!?

Hanging up she dialed Tuckers number and after the second ring he answered the phone. She knew he would make a dumb comment, but she didn’t let him. “I know Grif’s around you. Gimme him.”  
“Whoa what-“  
“NOW!”  
There was cursing and shuffling at the other end of the line before the Hawaiian took the phone with a simple. “’sup?”  
“Move your lazy ass to my coordinates immediately.”  
“Aw come on its-“  
“Simmons needs you. Now. Move!” ordered the black haired. Hanging up the phone and sending the coordinates to Tuckers phone.

She was close enough that the sound of the fight would lead them to their goal. Again rounding a corner, she could see a group of five guys – Exactly those idiots making a ruckus at their first day. One of them just delivered a kick to Simmons gut, making him curl up even more with a low whimper.  
“How’s that you fucking faggot!? I bet you like getting fucked in your ass! I bet you get off when you don’t even get fucked by a real dick!”

Simmons tried to take a shaky breath, his whole body was trembling and blood stains were smeared across his face and the ground. The asshats torturing the cyborg didn’t even notice Alas approach. The leader of them, a tall guy with brown hair reaching his ears, a cocky grin to put a fist in it and brown eyes looked down at Simmons, before speaking again. “Hey Cole, move and get a bottle! Preferably something huge to shove it u-OUF!”

This cockbite didn’t get any further, as Alas knee hit his gut with surgical accuracy, making him stumble backwards against the wall. She hit the solar plexus, making the air getting knocked out of his lungs and her enough time to take the others out before he would recover.

Speaking of them, they seemed to get over the shock pretty fast, now attacking at once. But Ala was used to fights where she was outnumbered. She didn’t panic.  
One of the guys tried to land a fist in her gut, but she dodged the blow with her left arm, delivering a hit against his jaw. As the fist connected with the other mans jaw, Ala felt how the bone broke under the force of the impact.

Cheering about this blowing hit would have to wait for later as the other guys attacked simultaneously. The fist fight got all bloody and nasty, but in the end the five guys laid on the ground, groaning and holding the soring spots.

Ala restrained herself from beating them up – although they deserved it – just mustering them with a murderous glare. She didn’t count the impacts she delivered or took. But she was pretty damn sure that she only broke her right pinkie, whilst the others had several bones broken.

One of them surely had a broken arm, the other a broken jaw. There were some broken fingers and teeth missing. All of them had broken noses and maybe some bruised or broken ribs. All in all a clear statment that she handed them their ass badly.

“You assholes better keep fucking away from my friends, especially the two you decided to bully.”  
“And if not!? Are you going to break my nose again, missy?” The leader still had the arrogance to lift his chin in a mocking manner.  
Ala let the last word pass by without comment. She knew it would only cause more teasings.

“Actually no.” began Ala, suddenly smiling like she actually went mad in the last second. To be honest, she loved playing the psychotic one when it came to such situation. “I more thought of ripping away your dicks and balls with my cyborg arm.” She casually lift her arm, inspecting it as if measuring how much force it needed to accomplish this task. If those cockbites didn’t know that she also was partly machine, they would know it by now. “After that I fry then and eat them for breakfast. So you better save your sorry asses before I get tempted to do it now.”  
Without any more word, the bullies scrambled on their feet, bolting as fast as possible.

Setting the bone back into the correct angle, Alaska walked over to Simmons. He still was laying on the floor. Coughing, he spilled some blood on the ground. The black haired woman couldn’t tell if it was because he had internal damage taken or if he spat blood because of the split lip.  
“Hey Simmons. You still there?”  
There was a whimper as answer. He was only half-way here. Fuck.  
Scanning the area, she hoped for Grif to show up soon. That lazy fuck for sure was walking over in a comfortable pace not even out of breath!

Speaking of the devil, he heard three sets of steps coming closer. Preparing herself for another fight, Ala waited in front of Simmons for the attackers. Luckily, the attackers turned out to be Tucker, Wash and Grif.

“Holy shit! What happened!?” exclaimed Tucker, sliding to a stop while Grif darted to Simmons who was still laying on the ground.  
“He got beaten up by the assholes we already met.” Stated Ala, shaking her right hand. It was only her pinkie, which was broken, but as the adrenaline began to wear off, she felt the pain like a broken arm.  
“He’s only semi-conscious. I suppose we bring him to your room and Tucker gets a doctor.”

Wash turned his head shortly glancing to Tucker who only nodded before running off to find the doc.  
“Fucking goddamn shit! I knew these idiots mean no good!” cursed Grif, shoving his hands under Simmons shoulders.  
“Mhm. If I hadn’t intervened they would have kept up the beating. Be careful, we don’t know what injuries he has. Wash come here and help.” Agreed Ala, before stopping Grif from dragging Simmons over the floor.

Only now, the Freelancer seemed to snap out of his state of shock, walking over and taking Simmons legs to carry him to Grif and Simmons room.  
Ala followed them with a dark expression. She didn’t tell them what she heard. Not now. Maybe later. When Simmons got patched up and out of danger.

 

* * *

 

As Ala hung up, Grif practically sprung up from his spot on the ground, heading for the exit. “Hey! Gimme my phone back!” exclaimed Tucker, scrambling on his feet to follow the Hawaiian.  
“Nope! Ala sends me her coordinates! I need it!”  
“Where do you guys want to go? Your exercises aren’t done yet.” Stated Wash, making them stop in blocking their way.

“Get the fuck out of my way! Somethings up with Simmons!” Grif tried to shove the Freelancer away, but of no avail. Wash remained on spot.  
“And you know that because?” It wasn’t that Wash was a bad guy, he just made sure they made their stuff. But just now, Grif would have loved it to punch him in his balls.  
“Because your girlfriend called us and said so.” Exclaimed Tucker. He also was on an adrenaline high, but calmer than Grif. It was only understandably that he was nervous. Something was up with Simmons and that made Grif worry.

“Ok, then go.” With a relieved sigh, Grif walked past Wash, beginning to run down the hall, following the coordinates on the phone. He had a fucking bad feeling in his gut. He wanted to get to Simmons as fast as possible.

Behind him, he heard Wash and Tucker trail along. Both stern expressions and expecting the worst. Grifs thoughts raced. What happened that Alaska called him? It sounded bad. Really bad. So Grif assumed it must be something bad. Maybe Simmons robotic body parts were acting up or he has a panic attack only Grif can get him out of, or…

… worse. Skidding around the last corner, he already saw Ala standing protectively in front of Simmons. His boyfriend was laying on the ground in a puddle of blood and not moving. Without even noticing the woman and the others, Grif rushed to Simmons. Falling on his knees beside the laying figure, he shook his shoulder slightly.  
“Simmons, hey, wake up! Talk to me buddy!”  
There was only a sound between a whimper and a groan as answer, whilst Ala shortly explained the situation. He didn’t really listen as he tried to keep Simmons awake. But he was too beaten up to really stay conscious. Grif didn’t want to imagine the pain he must be suffering.

“Fucking goddamn shit! I knew these idiots mean no good!” cursed Grif, shoving his hands under Simmons shoulders.  
“-don’t know what injuries he has. Wash come here and help.”  
Tucker was already gone and Wash now came over, gently taking Simmons legs and helping Grif bring his boyfriend to their room.

All the way back to the room, he talked to Simmons. Telling him he should stay with him and bite through, that they would get help and everything would be okay. Simmons groaned, whimpered or muttered something incoherently, as if he tried to show Grif that he still was there.  
Sure, Grif knew that Simmons was far from dying. But he knew too, that he should stay awake.

He once had to look after sister after she had gotten beaten up back in Hawaii. She had a heavy concussion and the doc said that he had to wake her up regularly that she wouldn’t slip into a coma. The orange armored soldier only hoped that Simmons wouldn’t drop unconscious as long as the doc hadn’t been here. That Grif wouldn’t have to wake him up regularly. Because that would mean that Simmons was on the edge of dying if he would have to do that. And he didn’t want another nerve fracking incident like back on Chorus where a shrapnel had ripped open his side.


	6. Aftermath

Simmons figure looked small and frail as he was laying on the bed. Grif and Wash had laid him on the bed just after they arrived at the room. Whilst Wash and Ala sat down on the couch and waited for Tucker and the doctor, the Hawaiian disappeared into the bathroom and came back some seconds later with a washing cloth in his hand.

Gently he began to wipe away the blood from the cyborgs face. Luckily, it didn’t look like he was seriously injured. Like having a fractured skull or fractures at all. That was what Alaska hoped at least. She wished for the man to not be seriously hurt. They went through too much shit to get beaten up badly on the last meters to their destination. Even more when it came to them. Simmons, Grif and all the others of the Blood Gulch Crew went through too much shit during the war. They shouldn’t have to take it home.

A knocking at the door indicated that the doc was there. Opening the door, Wash let the doc and Tucker in. Said teal armored soldier walked over to the couch, knowing pretty well that he would only stand in the way. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he crossed his arms. The tapping of his right index finger on his left upper arm gave away that he was concentrated on the doc.

“Excuse me Sir.”  
“It’s Grif.”  
“Sorry, come again?”  
“My name is Grif.”  
“Oh… Then excuse me Grif, but I need you to leave your partners side so that I can examine and help him properly.”  
“But he’s injured. I won’t leave him.”  
“I know it’s difficult, but during the examination I absolutely must ask you to wait with our friends.”  
“But I-“ he couldn’t finish the sentence as Tucker walked over and grabbed Grifs upper arm.

“Let go of me Tucker!” hissed the Hawaiian, getting dragged away from the bed. Ala saw how the doc nodded thankfully to Tucker before beginning to examine him.  
“No. You sit down with Ala and Wash and wait on your ass until the doc is done! You endanger Simmons too if you hinder the doc in treating him.” Explained Tucker while making sure Grif sat on the couch and stayed there.  
Grifs mouth snapped shut with an audible click, obviously already open to backtalk. But Tuckers argument made him stop and wait.

For the next minutes, you could only hear the low murmuring of the doc, accompanied by the rustling of clothes because Grif was shifting on the couch uncomfortably and Simmons occasional whines and groans. Ala knew how it felt to get beaten up badly. Your whole body hurts and you feel like put through a meat grinder. You feel every hit and kick and worst of all was this lingering feeling that they were still around. For the next hours, you would jump of flinch whenever someone touched you, because you feared to get hit again.

It was necessary that you had someone who would watch your back during such times. It helps you getting back on track sooner. And Ala knew that Grif, as impatient, immature and idiotic he was behaving, had a good heart and would look good after his partner. He already proved it that he was capable of taking care of Simmons.

After thirty minutes, the doc was done with examination. According to the frantic shifting beside Ala, this time must have felt like an eternity for the Hawaiian. Before the doc really was able to step away from the bed, the chubby soldier darted to the side of his boyfriend, looking over him as if to make sure Simmons really was okay.

The doc shortly left to wash his hands in the bathroom before returning. The rest of the team also arrived at Simmons bed, to see with their own eyes that Simmons was okay.  
“Mr. Simmons will be okay.” Began the doctor and Ala shuddered slightly. Somehow, this phrase reminded her of Dr. Grey on Chorus. Grif looked relieved and the doctor took the silence as sign to continue. “He took some bad blows and kicks. He’s heavily bruised, but no bones are broken. A middle-heavy concussion will be the worst he has. It’s best he sleeps a lot and lets his body heal. I gave him some painkillers to soother the pain.”

Grif looked up, worry still in his eyes. “I don’t have to wake him up regularly that he doesn’t fall into a coma?”  
The doc smiled warmly to reassure the Hawaiian. “No, you don’t have. Sleep is the best. I will leave some medicaments here. Some painkillers and an ointment to treat the bruises to make them disappear a bit faster. That’s all I can do. The best is to let him rest and sleep. Although I suppose you put a bowl beside the bed. Concussions can cause nausea from time to time.”  
The orange armored spartan nodded, getting up and searching for a bowl in the kitchen compartment.

Tucker, Ala and Wash also sighed relieved. While the doc let himself out, the three of them sat on the couch, waiting until Grif was sure Simmons was okay, leaving his side to walk over to them. “Looks like you saved him in the last second. Thank you.” Grif nodded towards Ala.

“It’s okay. I would have done that for every one of you.” Answered Ala, but the smile she gave was fake. It didn’t reach her eyes. Wash seemed to notice it. “Ala, what’s up?”  
“It’s nothing.”  
“Doesn’t look to me like that.”  
Alaska sighed, rubbing her hands over his face. How should she break through to them what she heard there?

“Is it because of Simmons?” this time it was Grif, whose voice dragged her back to the real world. She sighed again; she couldn’t keep it from them. Mainly because both, Simmons and Grif, had a right to know what almost happened.  
“It’s… something I heard just as I arrived.” Began Ala, all eyes on her. She wasn’t someone to beat around the bush. But this subject was something what made ice cold wrath flame up in her and her stomach twist just by the thought of it.

Again, she sighed, looking to Grif. “I think it’s better you sit down Grif.” The Hawaiian did as asked; his questioning eyes never leaving the white-blue armored soldier.  
“I arrived really in the last possible second there, Grif. Just as I arrived, Simmons was laying on the ground as you found him. They seemed to be done with him. Except of the leader. He again threw insults at him I don’t want to repeat, before he suddenly ordered one of his team mates to…” suddenly Alas voice failed her. “He ordered him to…” It was hard to speak around the suddenly appeared lump in her throat. She swallowed heavily. “He ordered him to get a bottle. Preferably a huge one.” The black haired woman stopped talking, leaving in the open what the guy had wanted to do with it.

She couldn’t tell them directly what the guys were up to. That they would have raped Simmons. And shattered his already cracked confidence and personality. They would have destroyed him. Again, Ala swallowed, feeling sick all of a sudden. It was something she didn’t want to experience ever. She knew she must look horrible. Feeling Washs arm around her shoulders and his hand on her flesh one, she gulped down the bitter taste of bile on her tongue.

It was silent. It was silent for long minutes. Ala could see the progress on the face of the men around her. First it was shock, turning into disbelief, only to realize that she was telling the truth. Realization turned into anger against the five bullies. In Grifs case, this anger turned into pure and simple bloodlust. His face twisted into a visage of pure wrath and agony, as if they really had done this cruel things to Simmons.

Before anyone of them could react, the Hawaiian shot up from his space on the couch and was out of the door.  
“Better we get him before he turns this ship into a slaughter house.” Remarked Tucker, already on his feet and behind Grif, Wash and Ala on his heels.

They caught him some corridors away. Wash and Tucker somehow managed to press the raging Hawaiian against a wall of the corridor, keeping him in place as they both grabbed each one arm, dragging Grif back to their room.  
“Let go of me! I’m going to kill these god damn assholes! I’m going to rip them apart! I gonna make them wish that they never did this! They should feel how it is to get beaten up and raped!” He was furious, only wanting to hurt those assholes as bad as he was able to. Ala was sure that not even she, but also Wash and Tucker could understand Grifs wrath. But first they didn’t rape Simmons for real and second it wouldn’t help neither him nor Simmons.

There really was no sense in beating these idiots up. Besides, it would only hurt Grif more than it would help. Most of all, it wouldn’t help but hurt Simmons badly.  
There were many logical reasons, but Grif wasn’t amenable at the moment for reasons and logic. Dragging him into the room of Simmons and him, Tucker and Wash made sure he would sit down on the couch and stay there until he cooled down.  
Simmons was still sleeping soundly, completely knocked out by the painkillers.

“Listen Grif. It doesn’t help to beat them up. Neither you nor Simmons.” Reasoned Tucker, trying to cool down the furious Hawaiian, but it didn’t help.  
Grif was breathing heavily, his chest raising and falling quickly. With every breathing out, he let hear a low growl, as if he was seeing his enemy in front of him. His face reddened with anger, fingers curled into fists and every muscle stretched to breaking point.  
He again and again tried to stand up, only to be pushed back by the two other men standing beside him, each a hand on his shoulder to react immediately.

“Let go of me! I’m going to kill those assholes!”  
“Sorry buddy, we can’t do that. We don’t want you doing one of your biggest mistakes.” Replied Tucker calmly, only to shut up immediately as Grif shot him a withering glare. Alaska never had seen this normally oh so lazy and easygoing Hawaiian freak out completely like he did now. It was almost frightening to see him like that. All worked up and furious. She was sure that maybe one word would make him explode completely.

It was almost impossible to get through to him, they all knew. But Ala tried it from another point, trying to satisfy Grifs need. She took a chair and put it in front of Grif, sitting down on it. It was like a second barrier, just to try to stop him if he managed to get out of Tuckers and Washs grip. Although Ala knew she wouldn’t stand a chance against a furious Grif, she hoped the symbolic way of blocking his way would make him think it over again. Just… didn’t she think before that Grif was too furious to think logically now? Anyway, shoving the thoughts aside, she focused on Grif, her arms braced on her knees.

“I know it only helps a little bit. But I already beat them up that they won’t get near Simmons for the rest of the flight.”  
Grifs eyes settled on the black haired woman, a spark in his eyes showed that he was listening to her. That his angers slowly began to fade away as he heard that they won’t bother Simmons again. Alaska continued. “They are off worse than Simmons. I think the one who came off best has a broken nose, bruised ribs, split lip, burst eyebrow, a concussion and a broken arm. Besides the bruises and their hurt ego. The rest of them have several broken bones more. Maybe something like a cute cut in their cheek to remind them of not again fucking with us. Besides that they fear me now I guess.”

This time not only Grif made a sound, which sounded definitely curious. Ala grinned mischievously. “I told them that I would rip of their dicks and balls with my cybernetic arm and eat them for breakfast. Told them that with my best psycho-face I could muster.” The woman chuckled amused, looking in each ones face.

“I can imagine them pissing themselves.” Tucker sported a wide grin, showing his flawless white teeth. Wash rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hide a smile tugging at his lips. Ala knew that he wasn’t completely okay with her way of solving things, but couldn’t hide a grin imaging the situation. Because everyone of the crew knew, that Ala could play the psychotic mass murder perfectly fine. Although she was absolutely not like that.

Even Grif seemed to cool down as he heard that these dickholes were pissing in their pants because of Alaska. He still was looking angry and pissed, but there was a grin on his face and by the look in his eyes, Ala was sure that he cooled down enough that they could reason again with him. Ala gave him some more minutes before getting up and putting the chair away.

“I think its best we leave you and Simmons alone for now. Can we trust you to not go out and beat the living shit out of the guys?” It was Wash who decided to give the two of them some space. He seemed to be the opinion that the Hawaiian was cool enough again to think logically and the fact that he didn’t shot up and ran after the bullies after Ala put away the chair and the guys took away their hands seemed to prove his suggest.

Grif grunted as answer.  
“Grif?” obviously it didn’t satisfy Wash to only hear a grunt.  
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”  
Washs eyebrows knitted together above his nose bridge, but before he could say something, Tucker cut in. “Okay buddy. We have your word on that. If you need help, just call one of us, okay?”

“Whatever.” Grumbled the Hawaiian, leaving the group and walking over to the bed Simmons still was laying on.  
Tucker shook his head, while Wash rubbed with his hand over his face. Stubborn guy. At least it didn’t look like he was going to murder them in the next minute. Instead Grif sat down on the edge of the bed beside Simmons, wiping a strand of hair out of his face. There were still spots of blood on his face, which Grif decided to wipe away with the washing cloth. He didn’t notice that his friends left.

After a short chat in the hallway, Tucker left to go to his room, while Ala and Wash entered theirs. Just as they closed the door, Ala took out her phone, dialing a number.  
“Who are you gonna call?”  
“Carolina. I bet she’s still waiting for us. And is fucking angry.”  
“Right.” Wash didn’t say more, only flopping on the couch and stretching his limbs.

Carolina answered the phone some moments later, asking why they didn’t come to training. That she had been waiting. As Ala explained why, the teal armored Freelancer huffed. “Already heard something in the hallways. So you were the badass bitch who kicked their asses?”  
“Badass bitch?”  
“Not my wording.” Carolinas voice was clearly amused. “That’s how the people call you.” Ala huffed. Great. Just fucking great.  
“Anyway. Yes, it was me. And they fucking deserved it. They can be lucky that we were able to cool down Girf. Otherwise I’m sure they would be skinned and roasting over the next bonfire by now.”

Carolina chuckled before asking. “How is he doing now?”  
“He has more bruises than freckles and a middle-heavy concussion. The doc said it’s nothing bad. Simmons just needs rest and sleep. Grif is watching out for him. He will be fine.”  
Again a shudder. Grey was capable, but creepy. Moreover, her creepiness followed them. It reminded Ala of her creepiness when they used a phrase the crazy doc often used to say when it came to her patients.

“Good to hear. I suppose we postpone our meeting on tomorrow?”  
Ala shortly asked Wash if he wanted to spar, but the Freelancer only shook his head. Lifting the phone back to the ear, Ala answered. “Yes, we’re too beaten from taming a wild Grif.” Again, a chuckle before Carolina bid her good-byes and hung off.

Dropping on the couch next to Wash, the black haired exhaled again. “Gosh, what a day.”  
“You’re saying.”  
“I only hope Grif keeps his promise and stays away from the guys.”  
“Could you hold it against him if he wouldn’t?”

Ala shook her head. “No absolutely not. It’s only normal from the emotional point. Logically it would only cause more damage than help.”  
Wash grinned. “Humans are absolutely illogical when it comes to emotions. I remember Delta saying that once.”

“He was right.” Stated Ala, adding after some moments. “Anyway. I’m going to get some food. You come too?”  
“Getting the people out there to know the face of the badass bitch?” asked Wash with a sly grin. Ala twisted her face as if bitten in to a lemon. “Something like that. You’re coming?”  
“Yeah.”

Leaving their room, both of them headed to the canteen and get some food. They didn’t eat dinner in the mess hall. They wouldn’t have a seat anyway as the rest of the crew also not seemed to be around. Obviously the whole Blood Gulch Crew decided to stay away from public.

Ala and her boyfriend left the canteen after some minutes, bringing some food over to Grifs and eating together with him. Just to make sure he would eat something and not forget about it completely in his worry about Simmons. Said guy was still sleeping soundly, the painkillers soothe his pain that the body could rest and heal the bruises.  
Ala asked if Grif needed someone to look after Simmons when he would wake up. Just that Grif could sleep too. He looked worn out and tired now, as the adrenaline and the anger wore off.

But he denied, only asking them to be around if he was texting or calling. Maybe brining over some food. But he would manage the rest.  
Ala nodded, deciding to give Grif his space to look after Simmons and sort out his thoughts dragging Wash out of the room, while balancing the trays with the empty dishes on it.


	7. Don't make me say it

He felt like he had gotten run over by a fucking tank. His whole body hurt and a massive headache was pounding behind his eyes. Groaning, he tried to move, only noticing that one hand got touched. Immediately he was wide awake, tearing his hand out of the grasp and crawling away in the farthest corner he was able. His whole body protested against this sudden movements – That he had to move at all – but Simmons didn’t care. His eyes were wide and full of fear.

In front of him was Grif, he noticed. Not one of the predators from early. Over the droning sound of blood rushing through his ears he heard Grif saying something. “-okay. I’m here. You’re save. Those fucking asshats won’t hurt you again.”  
Rubbing over his face, Simmons noticed bruises over bruises, already blossomed into full-fledged black spots. How long had he been out?

Grif sat down on the bed, holding out his hands with a small and warm smile, waiting for Simmons. It didn’t take long for the cyborg to dive into the embrace seeking comfort and protection. He trembled and felt cold fear gripping his soul. But the fear soon dissipated into the background as he felt Grifs hand gently stroke over his head and back, ensuring that it was okay.

After some minutes, as Simmons felt strong enough to say something, he looked to Grif. “How long have I been out?”  
“Almost a day. The doc gave you strong painkillers that you can sleep.” Explained Grif. He pushed him away slightly, looking directly in Simmons mismatched eyes. “But I’m glad you’re awake now. I was worried about you.” Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on the corner of Simmons mouth, where he didn’t had a split lip. The cyborg closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. But he couldn’t relax completely. He was afraid. And it made him jumpy and nervous. Grif seemed to notice it. Well, it was hard to oversee as he was flinching every time he got touched. Looking uncomfortable all along.

“You are afraid.” It was more a statement than a question. Simmons played with his fingers nervously. “Uhm, yes. I am. I mean it’s nothing new for me and I don’t remember completely what happened. But it’s like my body remembers. That I got hit. And it’s the way how I deal with it.” Muttered Simmons tiredly and a bit sad. He knew that Grif never would do him any harm. He was his love, his boyfriend and Simmons often though that he hadn’t deserved someone as loving and caring as Grif.

But then again, he was here, he was looking after Simmons. He was the one Simmons always could rely to. He was the one watching Simmons back. And Simmons was watching Grifs back. They were together since years and a couple since months and besides their bickering and bantering, they rarely had a real argument. He knew he could trust him and didn’t need to fear to get beaten up.

“Uhm.” Grifs voice tore Simmons attention away from his thoughts to his boyfriend. “Should I stop then? I mean touching you. You look like you don’t want to get touched. At least not at the moment.”  
“No!” exclaimed Simmons, too loud for his ears as the headache flared up. He felt a bit dizzy and tired. Nausea waving up from his stomach.

As the pounding cooled down a bit, Simmons again started to say something. “No, it’s okay. I… I may flinch away, but that has nothing to do with you. Really. Believe me. It’s just… It’s not so easy to unlearn something which you established long ago for your own protection. Please, believe me, it is not against you. I… I like getting touched by you.” Although he pleaded for Grif to believe him, his voice got sheepishly at the end. He still was sometimes embarrassed to voice the things he liked. Grif mustered him with a stern expression on his face, observing his reactions.

“It’s okay. I just wanted to be sure that I don’t make it worse.” Answered Grif finally, making Simmons lay down again. “You have a middle-heavy concussion. You should stay laid down and rest. I go and get some food, okay?” Just as Grif wanted to turn around, the irish-dutch man grabbed Grifs hand, squeezing it. “Please, don’t go. I don’t want to be alone.”  
“But I’m hungry, Simmons.” Whined the Hawaiian, pulling a face.  
“Oh, right…” reluctantly, the cyborg let go of Grifs hand, laying back down with a sad feeling. He knew Grif would come back, but he didn’t want to be alone after such events. He never had been.

Feeling Dex shuffling away, Simmons closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, ignoring the anxiety returning because Grif wasn’t there anymore.  
But instead of hearing a door opening and closing, he suddenly felt the familiar weight of Grifs body return at his side. The familiar pressure and warmth of Grifs hand on his again on his flesh hand. It was careful, almost shy touch, as if Grif was afraid that he would hurt him. Simmons smiled weakly, shortly squeezing Grifs hand to reassure him.

“Change of plan. I texted Ala that she and Wash bring us over something. I guess you should thank them and Tucker for helping you out. Especially Ala.”  
“Why?” Simmons coughed slightly, what made Grif stand up and get him a glass of water. While the cyborg was drinking, Grif only said. “She had beaten up the guys for you. It was her who drove away those asshats.” He could tell him later what sickening idea those monsters had. After he had eaten something. Because Simmons needed the energy. And one of them not eating properly was enough.

Grif simply wasn’t hungry after getting this information. He still had to fight down the nausea coming up when he inevitably and unconsciously imagined what would have happened if Ala hadn’t found him in time.  
“Yeah then I think it’s really necessary to thank her.”  
“All weak but talking like a nerd.” Commented Grif, a small smile appearing on his lips. Simmons smiled back weakly. “And you’re as lazy as ever, fatass.”  
Both of them then looked at each other in silence. As long as they were able to banter they were okay. Or almost. At least not broken or something else. Worse.

A knock on the door announced that Ala and Wash were here with the food. Indeed after some moments the two soldiers arrived, bringing a plate for Grif with real and good food and a plate for Simmons with some kind of soup. It was maybe for the best when he didn’t overburden his stomach at the moment, after the blows he had taken.

Helping Simmons up and walking over to the couch, Grif and he settled down there, accompanied by the two soldiers.  
“Thanks guys.” Muttered the Hawaiian to them, which they answered with a nod and a small smile.   
“Yeah, I- I wanted to say thank you too. For helping me and fighting me out.” Muttered Simmons, looking sheepishly over to Ala, looking at her to make sure she got what he meant.

The black haired girl smiled warmly, nodding. “It’s okay. You guys are my friends and I’m not standing beside the battle field and watch if any of you get beaten up just because you’re not fitting in the tiny little picture of a perfect world of some small brained idiots. But now, eat something. Your body needs the energy.” Answered Ala, bringing Simmons attention back to the soup.

Reluctantly the cyborg took the spoon and tried eating. It went well with his left hand – He was an almost perfect ambidexter, so it wasn’t much of a thing.

The dinner went on silently and soon after, Wash and Alaska left again, leaving Grif and Simmons alone again. Simmons love helped him back into bed as he again felt dizzy and tired. He didn’t lay down directly, sitting on the bed and holding Grifs hand in his for a long time, mustering his features. Grif didn’t look him in his eyes, his features were strict. The muscles at his jaw stood out sharp like razors because he was pressing his jaws together tightly. Something was up.

“What’s up Grif?”  
“It’s nothing. You should sleep. Your body needs rest.” Answered Grif, evading Simmons question and trying to make him lay down. But Simmons fought against Grifs attempts.  
“Not until you tell me what’s up!”  
“It’s really nothing-“  
“Liar.” This only single word made Grif shut his mouth with an audible click, the muscles standing out even more – if that even was possible.

There was a short silence, before Simmons spoke up. “It’s about what happened. And I’m the victim in here, so don’t you think I have a right to hear what happened? Besides, you’re my partner, boyfriend, love. I don’t want you to be unhappy about something if I could help you carry your burden.” Simmons again squeezed Grifs hand reassuringly.

Grif began gnawing at his bottom lip, a sure sign that he was debating with himself if he should say it or not. If he should tell it or not.  
“Grif, I-“  
“Okay.”  
“Uh what?” Simmons blinked, taken aback of Grif cutting in. What was okay?  
“I tell you.” Muttered Grif, looking down on his hands. Simmons was worried. Why wasn’t he able to look in his eyes anymore? Why was he sitting there like he was the guilty one, the one who had beaten up Simmons? He couldn’t understand, but it made Simmons worry.

There again were some moments of quiet before Grif sighed. It was a heavy and weary sound, like he got defeated.  
“You know you got beaten up. Badly.” Simmons nodded and waited for Grif to continue. The Hawaiian swallowed, obviously fighting with the words.  
“After you were laying on the ground. They… Those sick assholes tried to… One of those assholes ordered for a bottle, okay?” again Grif swallowed.  
“What did they want to do with that?”

The look Simmons got for his question made him almost apologize for it. It was an endlessly sad look. Like a kicked puppy.  
“Don’t make me say it.” Grif squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away.  
Simmons sat on the bed, staring at Grif. These five guys beat Simmons up. They kicked him and pushed him to the ground. They hit the spot on his right side, which was fucking sensitive because there were about three or four scars running over the same spot.

After he was laying on the ground, beaten and bruised, one of them seemed to ask for a bottle. They surely didn’t want to give him water or something. But what did they wanted to do with the bottle?  
Simmons was so deep in thoughts that he didn’t notice that Grif looked up and mustered him. The cyborg was still sitting on the bed, trying to proceed the information. And slowly, his mind settled on a thought, which made his blood run cold in a second. They really wanted to.

In less than a second, Simmons horrified features paled visibly, turning to a sickly white color. Just after that, this cheeks and nose took a greenish, stale, color, implying the nausea wailing up. Luckily for Simmons, Grif had been watching him and noticed the changes. And luckily seemed to know what they meant. As the nausea took over and forced everything out of the irish-dutch man’s stomach, Grif had already gotten the bowl beside the bed and placed it on Simmons lap.

For the next minutes, there was only a retching sound hearable, echoing through the room like some sick sing sang.

As Simmons finally was able to get his stomach under control, he looked even paler than before. He was trembling and feeling weak. Cold sweat covering his whole body, making his clothes stick to his skin like a second skin. It was disgusting.

Grif took the bowl, emptying it in the toilet and washing it out. Simmons knew how much he hated the smell of gastric acid. It was a miracle that he wasn’t throwing up by himself.  
As he returned, Simmons was about to get out of bed. Immediately, the Hawaiian was by his side to put him back into bed. “Whoa, keep cool. You have to lay and rest.”

“But I wanna go shower. I’m drenched in sweat and stink of vomit.” That he also wanted to shower because he suddenly felt dirty, like he had gotten raped for sure, Simmons didn’t say. He didn’t want to worry Grif more than he already was.

“Okay, let’s go and get you clean.” Agreed Grif, helping Simmons out of bed and into the bathroom. Arrived there, he first threw Simmons clothes in the washing basket. He already thought of getting new clothes for Simmons, which weren’t smelling of vomit.  
Adjusting the water, Grif just observed Simmons undressing. He didn’t meant to stare, but those black spots were disturbing him.

As Simmons was done undressing, the chubby Hawaiian decided shortly to undress to, turning the showering session in a bathing session.  
“Wha- what are you doing!?” Simmons squealed a bit taken aback.  
“I’m taking a bath with you.”  
“I see that, but why?” They were a couple since month and had seen each other naked more than not. But the cyborg still was turning crimson red when Grif undressed without a real need to.  
“I’m making sure you don’t drop unconscious and drown when taking a bath. Now come on.” Although this wasn’t really funny, Grif couldn’t help but grin wolfishly.  
Sitting down in the bathtub, he waited for Simmons to sit in there too, leaning back on his chest.

After taking the bath, Grif helped Simmons getting dressed and situated on the couch. The Hawaiian changed the bedsheets before letting his boyfriend snuggle under the covers again. Simmons was thankful for that. Because he wouldn’t be able to sleep when this lingering smell of vomit still would be around.

Grif also crawled on the bed, laying down beside him, trying not to touch those hundreds of bruises. Ending up in not touching Simmons at all.

“Grif. Why are you avoiding me?” asked the cyborg his boyfriend, who was laying in the furthest corner of the bed.  
“I don’t want to hurt you.”  
“That’s not it. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you.”  
“Nothing’s bothering me.”  
“Grif.” Simmons was reaching his limits. He just wanted to sleep and that as closely cuddled to Grif as possible because he needed the reassuring proximity of his boyfriend. But with him acting weird it wouldn’t really help.

Again Grif sighed. It was a weary sound, just like before. And an exhausted one.  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Sorry, Grif, what?”  
“I said I’m sorry, okay?”  
“But why? You didn’t do anything.”  
“That’s the problem.”

Simmons blinked dumbly. What was the point of his behavior?  
“I wasn’t there when you needed me. You got beaten up and almost… raped! And I wasn’t there to protect you! That’s the problem! I didn’t do anything, that’s the point!” Grif seemed to struggle with his emotions, to keep them in check and not break down.  
Simmons slid closer, cuddling closer to Grif, even though the figure of the Hawaiian went rigid not knowing what to do.

“You impossibly could have known what happened. There’s no point in feeling guilty for that. So stop that.”  
Grif huffed, looking away of Simmons. “Easier said as done.”  
“I know. But it won’t help neither me nor you if you go crazy because you feel guilty. I need you.” Simmons still felt shaken by the information that he almost had gotten raped. And it wouldn’t help when Grif was freaking out. Simmons needed him. He needed his strong boyfriend who always would have his back and encourage him when he needed it.

Grif contemplated the words some long moments, before huffing. “Okay, I try.”  
Simmons smiled at that statement, before leaning up to steal a kiss from Grifs lips. After they separated, the Hawaiian said. “You should sleep now.”  
“Yeah, I’m tired. But, Grif?”  
“Yeah, Simmons?”  
“Fucking embrace me already.”

A low chuckle rumbled in Grifs chest as he carefully laid an arm around Simmons waist, but without applying real force. Simmons was out like a light just as he felt the reassuring and soothing embrace of his boyfriend, knowing that everything would be alright. That everything would turn out well, that those asshats won’t hurt him again.


	8. Acting off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all this hurt and angsty stuff happening, something sweet to enjoy.
> 
> Although it's driving Simmons almost up the walls ;-)

Some days had passed since the incident. The bullies were in the ships own prison, waiting to get back to earth to be tried for the things they did to Simmons. Said person was recovering slowly from his the abuse, slowly getting to terms with it. Most because Grif and his friends were there to support him.  
As the doctor finally cleared him to do some physical work, he immediately went to Washington; he was sparing then with Carolina, asking him to educate him in hand-to-hand combat. Wash remembered that Simmons was rusty, because he didn’t use this skills anymore since Basic. Reluctantly Wash agreed to it. Not because Simmons shouldn’t be able to protect himself. More because Wash thought he should rest some more days.

Finally, the cyborg had talked Wash into it, solemnly promising that he would only practice basic stuff, the real training following when healed off completely.  
That was how they started to train for about two to three hours a day. Wash training Simmons reflexes to react on attacks of every angle, combined with some strength training. The lanky irish-dutch man luckily had an already pretty high stamina, so Wash could focus on the main thing.

But today, Simmons was acting weird. He was unfocussed, letting attacks pass he normally dodged easily by now – he was a fast learner after all – moving wrong, mistaking sides, not positioning like he should to dodge an attack and stay uninjured.

It was only normal that Wash would ask about it, while correcting the position of Simmons fist. “You’re unfocused. Is it still because of the guys?”  
Simmons shot him an insecure glance, trying to keep his position. He rarely talked in training, what Wash somewhat appreciated. But not now.  
“Stand at ease. We’re finishing training today. When you’re unfocused we only risk injuring you more than you already are.”  
“But-“ Wash lift his hand to shut Simmons up.

With a defeated sigh, the cyborg dropped his hands to his sides, standing somehow lost in the big training room. Since the attack, he was constantly on the edge; always double-checking over his shoulder that no one was behind him.

After some moments, Simmons was still refusing to answer, Wash cleared his throat. “Simmons?”  
“Uh- what?” the cyborg blinked, obviously just being ripped out of his thoughts. “Oh yeah, sorry.” Rubbing his left upper arm, he tried several times to say something, before really getting out a coherent sentence.  
“Grif is acting weird since some days.” Began the cyborg, Wash looking at him, listening attentively. “He isn’t around when I’m coming back from training, and if he returns, he’s all smiles. But if I ask him why he’s all smiles, he immediately turns red, sputtering something about having a good day and stuff.” Simmons exhaled frustrated. It was gnawing at him. “I don’t know what is up with him. I sometimes think it’s because we’re going to land soon. That he’s somehow trying to get away from me.”

“You think he is avoiding you?”  
“I don’t know. There are times a day like the previous situation where I would say yes. But there are others. Where he is the old Grif. The one I love. I don’t know what’s up with him and I’m afraid he could leave me when we arrive. Because, to be honest, I’m not the hottest shot and I’m sure Grif could easily get someone else who would complement him better.” Simmons finally stopped talking, giving Wash time to proceed the things said.

Thing was, Wash already knew why Grif was acting weird. He more had the problem: What should he say to Simmons to soothe his worry without spoiling the surprise? Because Grif had been very clear about blurting out the secret before this evening. That was the reason why Caboose hadn’t been invited as Grif explained everything.

After a minute, Wash exhaled slowly, before looking to Simmons. He was shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, waiting for Wash to answer.  
“You really don’t have to worry about Grif ditching you when arriving to earth. That man is head over heels for you.” Simmons looked at the Freelancer with wide eyes, a blush coloring the tips of his ears. Washington nodded with a reassuring smile. “He won’t never leave you. I bet he would even ditch Miss or Mister Universe for you.” Inwardly, Wash cringed. He wasn’t the type to make such comments. That was more Tuckers department. But the teal armored soldier wasn’t around (Wash didn’t know if it was for the better or not) and Wash felt like Simmons needed the comfort. Indeed, a small smile crept on Simmons face.

And fuck it for the promise for Grif, but Wash had to give Simmons a little bit that he wouldn’t be so freaked out. “I’m pretty sure he’s more planning something especially for you. And because he doesn’t want you to find it out before, he’s acting off. I know that from York. He always was acting the same way when he was planning something for Carolina. He was as head over heels for her as Grif for you. So stop worrying.”

“You don’t think there’s more behind it?” They all knew that Simmons often was insecure. He once said that he was like that because of his parents, but he never told any details. And Wash didn’t pry in. Since the attack, however, it had gotten worse. What ended in the others often needing to reassure him. Since the last days, Wash could see that Simmons slowly began to get his old self, like he was before the attack.  
He only hoped the surprise Grif had in storage would make clear that Simmons didn’t had to worry about Grif leaving him.

Wash smiled again. “Absolutely not.” Looking to the clock on the other end of the room, Wash walked over to one of the benches to get a towel. Wiping away the sweat he walked back to Simmons. “Training is over now. Tomorrow about the same time?”  
Simmons nodded. “Yes, and I try to do better.”  
“I’ll have your word on that.”

There was a small smile of Simmons, before he suddenly seemed to remember something. “Oh shit! I need to get back to our room and clean up! That slob of Grif said he invited you guys over today for dinner, but he wants me to clean up. Lazy slacker!” grumbling and spitting a string of curses, the cyborg left with a small wave to Wash.

The door didn’t close behind Simmons as Carolina walked in, Ala in tow. “Looks like you just got done training?”  
Wash sighed again, rubbing over the scar on his neck. “More or less.”  
“Meaning?” Carolina dropped her stuff right beside Washs on the bench. Ala only listening to the conversation quietly.  
“He was worried because Grif is acting weird. He was afraid that Grif would leave him when they’re back on earth.”

Alaska chuckled, taking her spot opposite of the two. “Still worried about that? After those years and what they went through, he is still worried that Grif would leave him? If he knows what that asshole really is up to.”  
Carolina and Wash snickered. “I bet his eyes are going to plop out if he sees the surprise this evening.” Answered the teal armored soldier, aiming a kick at Ala, only to attack Wash in the same time.

“You’re telling me. But I bet first he’s going to hound Grif for the chaos he has to clean up.” Wash dodged the attack, trying to land a counterattack. Carolina dodged again, waiting for them to attack, but Ala now aimed a fist at Washs stomach – It got dodged.  
It wasn’t like they were sparing until drawing blood. It was an easy way to get rid of too much energy and training the reflexes. Often they ended the training with anyone landing a hit.

This time it was the same. After about an hour, they decided to stop, taking their towels and leaving the training room to get a shower. They had to get showered and dressed and get the dinner to bring to Grifs after all.

Just about the time they were scheduled, Ala and Wash arrived at the room of Grifs. Strangely, they already called them Grifs, Simmons including. Wash didn’t know why, but it felt only natural to do so.  
The cart rattled as they passed the threshold.

Since the incident, the Blood Gulch Crew decided to eat their meals in their rooms. Sometimes everyone on his own, most of the time they met in Washs and Alas room to eat. It was the spacious and cleanest one of the rooms. Besides, it was the leader’s room.

Today, this habit got broken as they all were invited over to Grifs for dinner.  
Entering the room, Ala just made the crate stay put where she placed it, letting everyone get their own meals. Except of Caboose. Ala used to give him his dish already with food on it. Just to avoid spilled food on the ground or a completely overloaded dish. Caboose once took so much that almost nothing left for the others.   
Caboose throwing up in the middle of the night because his belly was tidying up was another nice detail of this story. Not to mention Ala cleaning up and washing the stuff for the rest of the night.

They all settled at the table beside the couch, luckily the furniture was extendable, beginning to eat. The dinner was accompanied by their usual chatter, speaking about shit they went through during service and how they imagined live without military. The chatter only got interrupted by Grifs nervous shuffling from time to time, which got commented by Simmons worried glances.  
Looking over to the Hawaiian, Wash noticed that he hadn’t even finished his first plate. Which was highly unusual, as he normally inhaled the first plate before the others even began eating.

Considering the circumstances on the other hand, it wasn’t that surprising. Wash let it pass by without comment, so did Tucker (luckily) and went on eating. As Tucker also knew the secret of Grif and what he had planned today, he was wise enough to shut his trap. Otherwise, Wash was sure, Ala, Caro or Grif himself would make him shut up. Even if it meant to gag him with one of Grifs old, worn socks.

 

Simmons still was worried. Even after talking to Wash. He didn’t know what he should think of his boyfriend.  
Walking back to their room, Simmons thought about when he went wrong. When did he make a wrong decision? Maybe give a wrong answer? Not hugging back immediately? Or kissing back? Was it because he got beaten up again and couldn’t defend himself? Was it something of his character?

He couldn’t remember almost every situation they went through, and he didn’t have the impression as if he did something wrong then. Or was it… Could it perhaps happened when he laid in bed with a concussion the last days? The memories of then were fuzzy and blurred. Did he do something wrong then what drove Grif away?

He couldn’t tell, nor did he want to ask Grif. Ask again to be accurate. He already asked him and Grif looked like he kicked him in his balls instead of asking such a simple question. Immediately denying it, embracing him, saying that he did nothing wrong and he would never be able to get rid of him. Simmons only hoped that it was the truth.

Sighing, he picked up some old sweaters of his boyfriend, throwing them in the washing basket. Tomorrow would be their laundry day. Not that there was a schedule made of the ship, but Simmons got into the habit of washing once a week – preferably always the same day.  
Really, Grif invited the guys over, leaving it to Simmons to clean the room although he still should rest as much as possible. Grif was an asshole.

His asshole.  
His beloved asshole.  
The one Simmons loved more than anything else in the world. Yet he didn’t know if he was losing him. Only thinking about losing him made his insides churn, tears welling up in his eyes. Shaking his head, the cyborg tried to get the thoughts go away. He should think positive. Additionally, as Wash told him, Grif was planning something. Wash and the others wouldn’t hide from him if Grif was going to split up. Maybe Grif had something positive in storage for him?

Standing up, Simmons flinched as his stomach hurt. The bruises still weren’t healed off completely. He would have to remind himself to crouch down and straighten his back in order to prevent such painful movements.  
Shortly vacuuming the room, to get rid of the crumbs Grif left on every spot possible, he took a shower.

For the rest of the day he sat on the couch, reading a book. One of the few he had. Grif surely wouldn’t return until dinner. He often was doing stuff with Tucker in the afternoon.  
The cyborg often used the free time he had then to read. Simmons didn’t mind per se. But him acting off made him even more worry that he didn’t show up. Perhaps he was discussing stuff with Tucker about how to break up with Simmons, without making it to a disaster?  
Again, Simmons shook his head. Dumb thoughts. He should focus on the book.

Until Grif arrived, the cyborg was reading peacefully. After shortly kissing Simmons hello, the Hawaiian went to take a shower too – Simmons refusing to join him. Because their friends could show up every moment.

Dex just made it out of the shower and look halfway presentable as Donut, Caboose, Tucker and Sarge showed up. Donut was giddy of some reason (Wasn’t he always giddy of some reason) and Caboose maybe was just mimicking Donut, not really knowing why he was excited. Sarge looked at Simmons somehow sad, as if losing him soon (why ever). Tucker sported a wide grin, greeting Simmons before going over to Grif clapping a hand on his back.

Much to the surprise of the irish-dutch man, Grif didn’t react easy like usually, he more was almost jumping out of his skin just because Tucker clapped a hand on his back. Strange. He was acting even more off than usually. What was up with him?

Following the guys sulking a bit, because he didn’t know what was up with his boyfriend, he sat on a chair beside his boyfriend, trying to participate the discussion they had. It was something about good pie recipes. Or at least Donut and Grif were talking about that, Caboose following eagerly and sometimes commenting a statement. Tucker most of the time was sitting there, observing Simmons (he began to feel awkward) and Grif, the fingers of his right hand thrumming against his right tight. Sarge was talking to his shotgun as usually.

How the fuck he even managed to get the shotgun on board and not forced to leave it in the storage department along with the other weapons. Even Freckles had to stay there.  
Caboose was all tears until they promised him to visit him every day at least once.

A short nock announced the arrival of Wash and Ala, bringing in the food. Since they began to eat in their quarters, Simmons felt safer again. He didn’t like to eat while feeling how other people stared holes in the back of his head.

While Grif and Tucker now were chatting about some random shit, Simmons helped Ala and Wash distributing the plates and let the others get their food. He wasn’t really hungry, so he decided to get his food as last one of them. The worries about Grifs strange behavior spoiled his appetite. He couldn’t eat when Grif would possibly break up with him today. Not eating the food, or not everything, was like not eating his last meal, before sent to the block.

Looking over to Grif, he could see that he hadn’t eaten his first plate. Strange… Normally he inhaled the food right away, getting his second plate when Simmons wasn’t even halfway through his. Now he was picking at his food, shoving it from one side of the dish to the other and back. Simmons wasn’t able to make head or tail of this strange behavior. He was acting so off, strange. It worried the shit out of Simmons as much as it somehow began to annoy him.

Coming back, Grif always used to smile like an idiot but immediately beginning to stutter around, beating around the bush, as soon as the cyborg asked him a question. He would blush when he was thinking (About someone?) getting big eyes out of surprise when Simmons confronted him with that. It was strange. And Simmons didn’t know what he should think of it.

Why was he acting so off!?  
It was driving Simmons insane!


	9. Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simmons is going to kill Grif...

It was strange, really. It was driving him up the fucking god damn wall! If Grif wasn’t going to spill what was up he would make him. Even if he had to hang him up upside down that it would fall out of his mouth!

By the end of dinner, Simmons was completely and thoroughly unnerved.  
His boyfriend wasn’t eating properly, he was picking at his food, he wasn’t telling Simmons what was up with him, he was all smiles when he came back but sputtered around like an idiot when Simmons asked him about it. It was driving him nuts!

It was only understandably that he also didn’t had much appetite and more or less was angrily picking at his food like he wanted to stab the meat laying on the plate. Yes, he knew it was already dead, thank you!

The cyborg didn’t really notice how all the others already had finished their dish, even Grif giving up on eating. He only snapped out of giving the meat an overkill as Ala laid a hand on his shoulder. “You okay? Aren’t you hungry?”  
“Nope.”  
“Maybe you want to put your plate aside? In case you get hungry later?” offered Ala, indicating Grif to put his and Simmons plate in the fridge in their room. Thanks to the microwave embedded in the kitchen counters, they could warm it up later.

“Okay.” Simmons wasn’t so sure about the being hungry later, but he decided to make a compromise, just to save the peace here. Although he was fuming.

While Tucker and Wash decided to bring the dishes and the crate back to the canteen, the black haired grabbed Simmons wrist, pulling him out of the room.  
“Hey what are you doing!? Let go of me!”  
Ala didn’t reply until the cyborg was leaning against the wall beside their room.  
“What got under your skin so badly? You’re like a little kid, which doesn’t get the lollipop.”  
“How am I supposed to stay calm when Grif is acting so off!?”  
“Ah, I see.”  
“What do you see!?” snapped Simmons angrily. Obviously some of the guys knew something but didn’t fill him in! Unfair!

The black haired lift her hands in defense, grinning. “Don’t worry Simmons. It’s nothing bad.”  
This statement made the cyborg blink confused. “Uh what?”  
“Why Grif is acting off. He’s just nervous like hell. Because he doesn’t know if you are going to like it. That’s all.” Ala gave him some moments to let the words sink in, before adding. “He planned that for days and is worried like hell that you wouldn’t appreciate it. You being all peeved doesn’t help the matter at hand.”  
“How am I supposed to not be miffed if anybody is filling me in and Grif is acting off!?”  
“That’s because it’s a surprise. Really Simmons. Take some deep breath and cool down. It’s really nothing bad. Grif acting off is because he is nervous like a teenage girl confessing her crush in high school. Promise.”

Of all the guys around here, Alaska seemed to be the most reliable. If Sarge or Donut told him what Ala did, he most likely wouldn’t believe them. But Ala telling him this, it made him indeed cool down. Closing his eyes, he breathed in and out slowly, until he felt calm enough. Ala meanwhile stood in front of him, watching him and her surroundings.

Just as Simmons felt ready to head back in, Wash and Tucker came walking towards the cyborg. Obviously, they were startled to see him out here.  
“Hey Simmons, did a wild weasel get in your pants? You’re acting all weird.”  
“I’m acting weird because Grif does.” Muttered Simmons. He still was a bit miffed, but not furious anymore like before. He calmed down.

Tuckers cackling laughter made him snap out of his miffy behavior completely.  
“… The fuck?” asked Simmons, staring at Tucker completely baffled.  
“You guys seriously should see each other. It’s just hilarious!” managed Tucker to say between laughter, getting socked into his upper arm to shut up. Wash and Ala were also smiling, looking to a completely baffled Simmons.  
With a happy hum, the black haired hooked her arm into Simmons, pulling him towards the door. “Come on, let’s go. You’ll see, it’s nothing bad.”  
“Uh-hu…” Muttered Simmons, following his three friends inside the room.

Inside, Caboose, Donut, Sarge and Grif were waiting for them to return. Grif nervously kneading his fingers while Donut jittered on the couch like a rubber ball. Caboose, although being jittery too, was looking slightly confused. It was obvious that Donuts jittery behavior rubbed off on Caboose, but he didn’t know what happened exactly or what the reason why Donut was so jittery. Sarge was sitting in the corner of the couch, trying his best to hide a small smile behind his grumpy mask.

“Agent Washingtub! Is Christmas?”  
“Why should it be Christmas, Caboose?” asked Wash confused, finally having given up on correcting the blue soldier about his name.  
“Because everyone is waiting for something! Normally it’s Christmas, when everyone is waiting for the presents!”  
“It’s not Christmas, Caboose. But there’s something much better than that. Just wait.” Answered Donut for the completely baffled Freelancer. Now even Simmons grinned, chuckling lowly as he walked to the table. Cabooses logic sometimes was refreshing naïve and simple.

The cyborg waited for Ala and Wash to pass his chair and sit down on the couch, so he could sit down too. When all of them were meeting for dinner, from time to time it could get a bit cramped. So sometimes some people had to get up to let others pass. Well, better than back on Chorus. They only had benches. When someone on one side of the bench stood up, the one on the other side fell to the ground.

Simmons once witnessed how Palomo, Andersmith and Caboose got up at once, Grifs weight making the bench tilt to one side, almost throwing poor Bitters into Matthews arms. The situation was so hilarious that it made Simmons grin even now. Whilst Grif looked like freshly wallowed in a pig pen (Wasn’t something new anyway), Bitters laid halfway on Matthews, completely baffled, not knowing what to say. Both their faces were a bright crimson red, both stuttering and trying to proceed what just happened.  
The whole mess hall was laughing their asses off about this hilarious situation. Apart from this day, Grif always, really always, sat in the middle of the benches. Even if he had to shove someone aside.

Just as Simmons wanted to sit down on his chair, he felt a hand on his forearm tugging him towards Grif. “C’mere.” That was Grifs voice. The cyborg could hear that he tried to sound casual, but was unusually nervous. Was this what the others told him? That he was nervous because he wanted to surprise him?  
Nodding Simmons let Grif guide him to sit on his lap. It felt… strange. More because Grif was acting so off, not because he was sitting on Grifs lap. He often did that. Even in front of their friends.

Simmons wasn’t ashamed per se to cuddle and show their relationship openly. It was just because… Grif had been acting so off lately and now he was pulling him on his lap and cuddled him in front of his friends. He really didn’t know anymore what to think about this situation.

“Hey Simmons.” Began Grif somehow reluctant, the nervousness now clearly audible in his voice.  
“Yes, Grif.” It was an automatism to answer like that when addressed the same way by his boyfriend.  
“You know I love you.” Simmons heart sank by these words. Sure he knew that Grif loved him, but why did he need to say it again?  
“Ye-“ Simmons swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Yeah, I know. So do I.”  
“We- We went through so many shitty situation. We went through every one that bitch of life threw at us.” Also Grif stuttered. Simmons felt him moving his hand downwards over his forearm to his wrist, while he was nervously rummaging around in his left pocket. Simmons didn’t care, he had leaned his head against Grifs, looking in those bicolored eyes.

“We are together now what feels like years and I enjoyed every single day of these years.” Finally the rummaging stopped, a low click now coming from this side.  
“Yeah I know, but what is your point?” Simmons felt his feet dangling loosely. He was sitting sideways on Grifs lap, so that he would face the others if he wouldn’t be so caught up in the sight of Grifs eyes.

“The point is… Uhm… That I wanted to ask you… If… Well if… you… Uhm…” Stuttered Grif, searching for words.  
Tucker made a pained noise, followed by a string of curses as Alaska elbowed him shortly to make him shut up.  
Grif exhaled deeply, before gently laying a small plastic box in his right hand.

Simmons turned his head curiously to see what it was, to see his hand laying in Grifs. And in his hand sat a small black plastic box, with black cushioned material in it. And in this material was a ring. Shining in the light of the ceiling light. It was silver, framed with waves out of gold. It was beautiful.  
“I wanted to ask you… If you would marry me.” Muttered Grif silently, almost too silent for Simmons to catch it.  
Most of his friends were silent. Except of Donut. He let loose a faint squeal at the scene Grif put up.

The cyborg starred at the ring disbelievingly. Not that he didn’t trust his senses who told him that Grif was asking for his hand – Absolutely not. Not at all. He was just so overwhelmed by the fact that it happened.

The shiny ring was sitting on the black cushion, blinking in the light as it began to move with the trembling of Simmons hand. It was a beautiful ring. The waves of gold somehow reminded Simmons of waves rolling onto the beach, getting a golden or silvery glint when the setting sun was shining on them.

He had been worried out of his skin and though Grif would leave him. Indeed, he sure was organizing everything to propose to him this evening. And Simmons, that dickhead and idiot he was thought he would ditch him and reacted pissed and cranky!

“You mind?” Grifs voice still was silent. Simmons shook his head. “No. not at all.” Oh god, he sounded like a dying hamster. Gently, Grif took the ring out of the box and slid it on Simmons right ring finger. Surprisingly, it fitted just perfect. As if it was made for him.  
“Wait, aren’t rings normally worn on the left hand?”  
“Well yeah.” Began Grif, awkwardly scratching his back. “But since your left side is metal, I thought you would like to wear it on the right side. To not only see the ring but also to feel it.

Simmons nodded, mustering the ring in awe, only to get torn back to reality when Grif said. “You didn’t give me an answer to my initial question. Do you want to marry me?”  
The cyborg didn’t need to think twice. It always had been like that. They were bantering and clinging to and with each other like an old married couple. Now they were only making it official. Simmons would never want someone else to ask for his hand than Grif.

Okay, it sounded all sappy and stuff, but it was like that. He loved Grif, with every piece and bit of his being. And nobody would take this away from him. Not in thousand years. Finally, the meaning of this whole scene sank into Simmons, making tears flow over his cheeks and the trembling getting stronger.  
“Simmons, what’s up?” Grif was worried, but before he could say more, he was effectively shut up by the taller man kissing him. Simmons cupped Dex’ face with his hands while having his lips laid on his.

It was only a short kiss, though. After some moments, he broke it, leaning his forehead against Grif, looking at him with teary eyes. He got a confused and worried glance back.  
“Yes. Yes of course I do, you dummy!”  
It took some seconds for Grif to understand the meaning of the words. Mimicking Simmons gesture and cupping the face of the cyborg with his hands, he kissed his fiancé, not bothering to wipe away the tears of joy running over Simmons cheeks.

Their friends around them cheered and clapped with their hands, congratulating them to their engagement.  
Both of them couldn’t hold back a laughter as Caboose asked if they were going to make babies now, only getting commented by Tuckers catchphrase. Which lead to Tucker again getting elbowed by Ala and Wash almost desperate trying to explain to Caboose that this first wasn’t possible and second wouldn’t happen now. Engaging doesn’t meant automatically that you start up a family.

Simmons didn’t really listen to their chatting, he was just pressing his forehead against Grifs, looking in those bicolored eyes and kissing from time to time. These two were completely lost in the moment.  
The cyborg felt like the butterflies in his stomach were dancing tango. He felt so incredibly happy. He would have loved to shout it from the rooftops that he was so madly in love with Dexter Grif and that they would marry soon. He was sure, he never felt this happy and joyous ever before. Although the tears slowly faded away, he couldn’t stop himself from grinning so hard that his cheeks hurt. He wanted to stay like this forever and in the same time he wanted to stand up and dance around, whirling until he felt dizzy and his vision began to blur. Laughing until his belly hurt and he would be out of breath. Cuddling, hiding his face in Grifs neck. Pressing his forehead against Grifs and look in those wonderfully bicolored eyes.

Yes he wanted to do that all at once. And many things more.

A flash of light made Simmons and Grif blink in surprise. It was Donut taking a picture of them. “I gonna make a huge collage for your wedding!” squealed the lightish red armored soldier again. “Come on Donut! Let them have a moment!” laughed Wash, one arm laid around Ala. She leaned her head against Washingtons shoulder, grinning happily as she observed the happy couple now looking to each of their friends.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Simmons mind. “You guys knew it didn’t you?”  
“Well, not all of us.” Began Tucker, scratching the back of his head and smiling impishly. “Grif told us that we could make up alibies or stuff for him to get away and prepare everything.”  
“I see. That’s why you were confident about everything going well when I was angry.”  
“Yepp.” Tucker popped the p’s at the end to empathize the meaning.

There again settled silence, before Donut again peeked up. This time he aimed for Wash and Ala. “Sooooo…”  
Both of the special ops only raised each an eyebrow.  
“Sooooo…” repeated the gayish soldier, before adding. “And when do you propose, Wash?”  
The Freelancer replied Donuts glance unwavering, replying in a deadpanning voice. “Never.”  
“What!?” screeched Donut, obviously completely reeling from Washs answer.

His unbelieving glance turned into an offended one as Ala and Wash began both laughing until their bellies hurt and tears ran over their cheeks. Still trying to recover from laughing, Ala reached for her collar, tugging out the chain where her dog tags were dangling off. Beside the dog tags was a ring. A silvery and golden string entangling and mixing with each other, supporting a dark blue sapphire sitting on the top of the ring.

“What!? You already are without telling me!?” Now Donuts voice definitely was offended. He crossed his arms sulking.  
“Dude, since when?” this time it was Tucker, his gaze alternating between the two special Op’s and the ring dangling from the necklace.  
“Shortly before we left Chorus.” Replied Wash calmly, sharing a fond glance with Ala.  
“And you didn’t tell us?” Donut insisted on being informed all the time.  
“It was our own decision to marry and it was our decision to keep it for ourselves. We didn’t want to make a huge thing out of it because it wouldn’t be like us if we did.” Explained Ala, mustering the ring.

“How was the proposal? Was it good?” Donut was jittering again on his seat, inattentively waiting for an answer.  
“Wash went down on his knee to ask for my hand. The rest was… ours. Our own thing.” Replied Ala, not willingly to give away more infos than necessary.  
“And why don’t you wear the ring on your finger?”  
“Because of the trainings with Carolina. I’d like to keep my finger.”

“Oh right…” Donut smiled sheepishly.  
“Are agent Washingbasket and Ala now going to have babies?” Caboose obviously still was confused as fuck about the whole situation.  
“Not right now Caboose. Maybe later.” Explained Ala patiently, Wash rolling his eyes and the others snickering behind their hands.  
“So you are going to have kids?” Donuts eyes lit up and his smile got wider.  
“Donut, you’re such a gossip whore, you know that? For once, you don’t need to know everything.” Deadpanned Ala.

Loud laughter erupted in the room, everybody laughing about Donut sitting on the couch in an offended manner. The fingertips of his right hand slightly brushed against his chest, the offend clearly written in his eyes, mouth opening and closing like a fish on land.  
“I’m no gossip whore!”  
“Sure you aren’t.” sarcasm dripped off of Washs voice, whilst the others laughed their asses off.

Sometime later, one after another, Simmons and Grifs friends got up, congratulating them and wishing only the best for their future, before leaving the room. A short look on the clock showed Simmons that it had gotten late already and everyone went to sleep. Suppressing a yawn, Simmons decided to do that too soon, his body still needing a lot of sleep to recover.

Suddenly strong hands clapped on both Grifs and Simmons shoulder, making them look up startled. A heavy southern accent announced Sarge taking the speech. “You know Simmons, I had high hopes in you. Unfortunately you destroyed them by being together with that slacker of Grif. Now even marrying him.”  
“Love you too, Sarge.” Commented Grif sarcastically, whilst Simmons looked somehow confused.

Until Sarge bent down, saying lowly, so that only Grif and Simmons could understand. “Congratulations you two. Took you long enough. Be happy together.” Again a friendly pat on the shoulder and Sarge shouldered his shotgun, leaving the room without any more word.

Even after their friends were gone, both sat there in astonishment. “Did Sarge really just…” Began Grif, gesturing with his hand in the air.  
“Yeah… Yeah I think he did.” Answered Simmons, looking at Grif as astonished as Grif looked at him. However, this glance only lasted some seconds, before both of them burst out in laughter simultaneously. Both of them laughing freely about nothing particular. Just laughing until their bellies hurt.

After they calmed down halfway, Simmons again lift his hand, admiring the ring there. He was almost sure that the waves moved when he was moving his hand in the light.  
“You like it?”  
“It’s wonderful. Where did you get it?” Grif smiled broadly to Simmons answer, happy that he made the right pick.

Leaning against Simmons shoulder he admired with him the ring. “Here on the ship. Initially it had been some kind of civil transportation ship with all kinds of shops. It got turned into a transportation ship for military purpose because they needed ships to transport all the soldiers home. There was an old man in a small shop in one of the side hallways. He insisted on going on the trip and setting up his shop here.” Grif paused, slipping the ring off of Simmons finger and playing shortly with it while explaining. “He didn’t want to make the big money, but he was sure there were people wanting to buy something for someone. Effectively I had been the only customer so far. But he said that he was happy if he could at least help me. Look.” He turned the ring slightly to show the gravure on the inside. Simmons took the ring, mustering the writing.

The writing was curly and dainty. It read something.

 _Dex & Rich_ and the date of today.

Slipping the ring back on Simmons finger, he continued shortly after. “I didn’t know if the old man would be done with his work until today. That was why I was so giddy all the time. I wanted it to be perfect.”  
“You did just that. Thank you very much.” Answered Simmons, again leaning in for a kiss,

They were sitting like that for more than an hour, until Grif complained that he couldn’t feel his legs anymore. Even though he didn’t feel them anymore, as he said, they managed it to move over to the bed, dropping on to it in their civvies and ready to get some sleep.

Just as they settled in for the night, Simmons asked his fiancé. “You know, normally the one asking for someone’s hand falls on one of his knees. And doesn’t pull him or her on his lap.”  
Grif made a whining noise against Simmons chest. “Are you crazy!? Do you know how much work that is!?”  
Normally, Simmons would be at least slightly annoyed about this answer. But today he wasn’t. He couldn’t help but laugh again at this statement, pulling Grif up in another loving kiss.

Grif may be a lazy fatass, but exactly that made the marriage proposal perfect in his own way. Richard didn’t want it to happen differently. Because the proposal had been just Grifs style. Just the way he knew and loved his partner. This simple and carefree attitude, which often helped him loosen up himself and stop thinking too much.


	10. Kids?

Grif was wide awake since almost an hour now. However, he didn’t had the intention of getting up. It was way too cozy to just lay here, head tucked under Simmons chin, listening to his slow and regular breathing. The pain killers still made Simmons very tired, causing him to sleep a lot. The Hawaiian didn’t mind, because it meant more laying around and cuddling with his love. Three of the best things he could imagine. Slacking off, napping and cuddling.

During the last hour, Grif had thought about yesterday. It made him still all smiles when he thought about the proposal and Simmons agree. the was so fucking god damn in love with this nerdy cyborg, he couldn’t imagine how to react if he said no. Cuddling closer with a content sigh, Grif felt Simmons tightening the embrace.

The smile didn’t fade as he thought about the future. Simmons and he would marry soon. And Grif already had concrete plans about that. And they would live and be happy together. Somehow, the Hawaiian was a bit disappointed that they couldn’t have kids on their own. But hey, there were lots of orphans, waiting for a home and a family.

The breathing of Simmons changed slightly, indicating that he was about to wake up. As he opened his eyes, Grif could see a sleepy smile spread across his lips as he saw Grif looking at him.  
“Hey…” muttered the cyborg sleepily.  
“Hey there.” Replied Grif, mirroring Simmons smile, before leaning in to kiss his boyfriend, no fiancé.

Simmons sighed happily, replying the kiss, while his right hand slipped under Grifs shirt, gently drawing circles on the back of the tan skinned man. The touch of the metal ring on Grifs skin made him shudder.  
Expectantly, he licked over Simmons bottom lip, asking for entrance, which he got granted right away. Both of them let their tongues dance lazily, before parting again, not wanting to be out of breath.  
Grif again snuggled closer, tucking his head again under Simmons chin. “Let’s make a bed day.”  
The irish-dutch man hummed in agreement, the vibration making Grif smile harder.

Grif was about to drift away, when Simmons suddenly asked him something.  
“You already have plans for… our wedding?”  
A huge grin appeared on Grifs face, looking up to Simmons with joy gleaming in his eyes. “Absolutely! We gonna marry at the beach! With all our friends and family! And a huge badass fire to sit around after dinner and enjoy the evening!” Simmons blinked, looking startled, what made Grifs smile falter. “Uh, I mean, only if you want to.”  
Again, Simmons blinked, before he chuckled lowly. “Leave out the family for my part and I’m good.”  
“Neat!” Grif beamed at his boyfriend, no fiancé. Gosh, that would take some time to get used to that.

“Hey Grif.”  
“Hmm?”  
“Do you already know who will be witnesses to our marriage?”  
“Tucker will be my groomsman.”  
Simmons rolled his eyes in faked annoyance. “Why did I even bother asking…?”  
The Hawaiian still was beaming although Simmons faked to be annoyed. “Come on! He’s my best buddy.”  
“I know. I didn’t say I’m not okay.” The faked annoyance disappeared, replaced by a fond smile and a kiss to Grifs forehead.

“And who are you gonna ask?”  
“Hmm… I don’t know. I didn’t had that much time to think about.”  
“If you’re going to ask Sarge I’m not gonna marry you!”  
“What!? What’s wrong about that?” Simmons voice got a shrill note.  
Grif chuckled. “Nothing. But please not Sarge. You know, he and I are not exactly on the same page.”

The cyborg sighed exasperated. “Okay, fine. Then how about Wash?”  
“You’re such a kiss-ass.”  
“Why am I a kiss ass all of a sudden when I want Wash as my groomsman?”  
“Because he was our CO?”  
“Who should I ask then? Donut?”  
“Ugh, please not.”  
“Caboose?”  
“I don’t want my wedding go up in flames.”  
“See? Who else should I ask? Tucker is already going your groomsman, I want neither Donut nor Caboose and you don’t want Sarge to be my groomsman. There aren’t much alternatives left. And I won’t ask someone of my family.”

“Okay.” Admitted Grif in an overly dramatic sigh to admit his defeat. “Okay, you got a point there. In this case you’re not a kiss-ass. But all the other times I said so.”  
“And you’re a lazy slacker!”  
“Nerd!”  
“Fatass!”  
“I know and that’s why you love me.” Simmons was so taken aback because of this statement that he shortly forgot to even retort something to this.  
He blinked several times, before answering with a smile. “Yeah, same counts for you too.” The cyborg didn’t give Grif any time to answer, already kissing him again – Shutting him up effectively.

Eventually, both of them had to get out of bed as it was afternoon and their bellies grumbled. They haven’t eaten in a while. Luckily, they still had the plates of yesterday to warm up and eat. Simmons didn’t had to move out of his comfort zone, facing all the alien faces out there, mustering him because he was the victim of five assholes who beat him up. At least Grif assumed that Simmons was more comfortable staying here because of that. He knew Simmons and he knew the feelings you have after being beaten up. So he well… assumed, he guessed?

Anyway, they were eating their lunch in quiet, enjoying each other’s presence.

After the lunch and cleaning up, Simmons settled back on the couch, taking out his data pad to read the news from earth. Grif didn’t read them. He didn’t want to because he was lazy and because there was always the same in the newspapers. Political intrigues going on, some people died because they were at the wrong time at the wrong place. Some died because they deserved it and so on and so on.

Whilst Simmons was focused on the news, Grif lounged on the comfy couch, using Simmons flesh leg as pillow, trying to nap. Napping after eating is always the best napping. With Simmons fingers weaving through his hair even more.  
The second time this day, Simmons woke him up, just before he fell asleep. The Hawaiian pulled a face. “Aw man, I was just about to nap!”  
“Oh- uh- sorry. I didn’t meant to wake you up. Please go back go back to sleep.” Muttered Simmons. Grif could see a blush coloring the tips of his ears.

Grinning a bit sleep drunken, the tan skinned man replied. “Nah, it’s okay. I’m awake now. What do you want?”  
“Well, uhm, you remember Kai – uh - saying something about you… wanting to have your own kids?” stumbled the cyborg out, his ears getting a deeper shade of red.  
“When should that have been?”  
“Uh- just before… Ahm- she tried to jumponmybonesduringbreakfastinfrontofyouall?” The deep crimson blush intensified again, spreading across Simmons whole face.

Grif closed his eyes, laughing at the memory. Then he had been furious. Today he could laughing about that incident then.  
“Yeah I often said that. That’s the thing when you’re bisexual. I often said I want to have my own brood. But well, not really possible though.” Grif gestured between them with his hand before continuing. “But I guess if we want to start up a family, we also could adopt kids. I guess there are always kids around being happy to have a place they could call home.”

“Why should it not be possible for us to have our own brood?”  
“Wait, you didn’t ask me that because you suddenly dug out a fond memory from back in the days, haven’t you?” Suddenly the gears connected in Grifs head, making him blurt out the next question coming to his mind.

Simmons smiled again, still weaving his fingers through Grifs hair. The short sting of pain indicated the Hawaiian that Simmons loosened up a knot in his hair.  
The cyborg took his time to answer. “No I didn’t ask just because of that. I’m curious. We can plan our future now. And I want to know what your ideal image of a future is.”  
Grifs glance wandered up to the ceiling, thinking about what his ideal picture of his future after the military would be. To be honest, he never thought about it. Because he was dead sure that he would never be able to have a live after the military. Until some weeks ago when the radio transmission came in.

“I don’t know exactly, except of one thing. I want to share my future with you.” A small ‘heh’ came from Simmons, Grif taking this sound as invitation to continue. “And we’re moving to Hawaii. That’s something I wanted too. Maybe I establish a surf and diving school. Besides the tourists coming for lessons I can nap at the beach in the sun.” Simmons laughed silently at that statement. “And yeah, Kai was right. I would like to have my own brood. But it isn’t that bad if not. As I told you. If you like to start up a family too, we can still try to adopt some orphans, what do you think?” Grifs cheeks slightly warmed up, getting a deeper shade than usual.

Simmons smiled knowingly. Grif furrowed his brows. That bastard knew something he didn’t know. And he was using it to tease him. “Here. Read that.”  
“Aw come on! Reading is too exhausting for me!”  
“Well, I won’t read it out for you and if you don’t want to read it, you’ll never know what’s written there.  
“Jackass.” Grumbled Grif, taking the maroon data pad, reading the news article Simmons showed him.  
Grif heard Simmons answer a “Love you too.” While he was reading the article.

“Wait a second. Did I just read what I thought I read?”  
“If you mean that it’s possible for a man to get pregnant and give birth to a child without getting transformed into a woman, then yes, you did.” Answered Simmons, his fingers loosening another knot.  
“And the conception will be all natural. Without an alien involved. And it’s reversible.” Added the cyborg after disentangling a third knot.

Grif read the article again. And again. And a fourth and a fifth time. He couldn’t believe what was written there. Men were actually able to give birth to a child now. As of the drastic decimation of the people, doctors invented a method to actually allow men to bear a baby. And that this system was proved, as the thousandth baby was born this way, everything completely natural. As natural as it could be at least.

“What do you think?” Simmons fingers had stopped weaving through his hair. The hand was laying on Grifs head, Simmons mustering him attentively.  
Grif read the article a sixth time before answering. “I think… It’s a great idea. If we agree to start up a family, why not trying it on this way?” A wide smile tugged at the corners of Grifs mouth. Simmons replied with another fond smile.

Laying the data pad aside, the Hawaiian leaned up to place a kiss on Simmons lips. Kids with Simmons, their very own kids. Grif could hardly believe his luck. He would marry Simmons; live in Hawaii and having Kids with him. That was gold standard.

“When we’re back home, we are going to buy a badass house near the beach, marry and get kids. Like a normal family.”  
“Except that nothing is normal in our case.” Snorted Simmons, letting Grif lay back down on his lap.  
“Hey, we are we.” Answered Grif with a shrug. Simmons laughed again.

They were dorks, but they were okay the way they were. Simmons slowly began to understand the real meaning of this phrase Grif often used to say.

 

* * *

 

During the same time, while Grif and Simmons were happily enjoying their day off, Wash and Ala decided to not get Grif for the drills today to enjoy it with his fiancé, the two special ops were trying to keep everything in check.

They had to keep Caboose from putting everything on fire. Sarge from shooting the next best looking strange (He would never admit it, but what happened to Simmons also affected him). Keeping Donut from running in the door to Grif and Simmons room to give them the framed photo of their proposal-kiss (it was a frame in the color of a blood orange. A mix of Grifs and Simmons armor colors).  
And lastly making Tucker run his laps.

Beside all that, Ala often disappeared towards the toilet. Since some days, she often felt nauseated during the morning. She knew assuredly that it was one special reason. But she had to prove it first. In going to the doc (Luckily they had a gynecologist on board) on one of the front decks.

Wash and Carolina were sparing now for at least an hour and a half more, so she would have enough time to organize everything.  
Luckily, she didn’t meet Donut on her way through the hallways. That gossip addict wouldn’t leave her alone until he knew what was up. Just now he was sitting sulking in his room, waiting for the dinner to come to hand over the photo with the handmade frame. According to the shadows under his eyes, he had been working all night on it.

As much as Alaska liked the bubbly pink armored solder, as much she often wanted to shoot him on the next moon they passed by. He was a nice guy, but he often overdid it. Especially when it came to his reputation as godfather (Or godmother?) of gossip.

Arriving back at her and Washs room after almost an hour later, she slipped out of the ring. She wore it now on her left ring finger, since she stopped sparing and only trained a minimum every day. Putting it in the little box she used to keep it when she wasn’t wearing it at her finger or necklace, she left for the bathroom. Her stomach revolted again.

She kept the others, except of Wash, out of it on purpose until the time would come they would be ready to say it. She knew from her mom that during the first three months, the chances of a miscarriage are relatively high. Her sister was a late arrival and before her birth, her mom lost one of the babies. She had been about fifteen then as Kristina had been born. Old enough to understand what was going on. Even with moms miscarriage.

After returning from the bathroom, she just was about to sit down on the couch, putting on her ring, as the door opened and a sweaty Wash came in. Around his left eyes began to blossom a nice black spot. “Ouch, did Carolina get past your defense?”  
“Obviously.” Muttered Wash, leaving for the shower after kissing Ala hello.

It didn’t took long for Wash to shower and return to the couch, slumping on it as if having no strength left. “Carolina seemed to have the upper hand during sparing.” Commented Ala, seeing another bruise forming on Washs shoulder. Her fiancé only groaned in reply. “Since you aren’t around to even out the odds I’m getting my ass handed every fucking time.” Alaska snickered answering. “You know I can’t. Now even less.”

“Yeah I- Wait. What?” Immediately Wash had been sitting straight, looking at Ala with wide eyes. “Don’t tell me… You are fucking kidding me right now, aren’t you?”  
The black haired girl smiled awkwardly, nodding. “Well yes, I was at the doc today because of my morning nausea. Turns out I’m pregnant. Second week.”

A long silence settled, Wash staring at his fiancé disbelieving, while she smiled back. A smile between happy, sheepishly and awkward. As Wash, after minutes of staring, didn’t answer, she looked worried. “Wash? You okay?” Her words seemed to snap him out of whatever realm he was wandering.  
“Yeah, yeah I’m okay.” Rubbing over his face, he again mustered Ala. “I’m just. A bit overrun by the news.”

“Well, they were also quiet some news to me.” Admitted the black haired girl, stretching out her hand to touch Washs.  
“I know we said we would wait until we’re back on earth. I didn’t expect it to happen so fast.”  
“Me neither.” Muttered Wash, before a wide grin began to spread across his face. “But it’s great!” Pulling the white-blue armored soldier towards him, Ala felt his strong arms wrapping around her. “It’s just great!” muttered her love before kissing her.

Smiling into the kiss, she replied it. She knew that Wash sometimes had problems to get along with new situation. So he took this reaction as best possible reaction he could muster. He was happy and they were soon going to have a little fellow.

“You know, we should tell the others!” suddenly the joy seemed to roll over Wash, making him grin and all giddy. The black haired laughed at that rare sight, before shaking her head. “Not now.”  
Washs face fell. “Why not?”  
“Because the chances of a miscarriage in the first three months are pretty high. I don’t want to hold up hopes and destroy them later. I’d like to wait and tell them after the first three critical months are over. Okay?”  
“Okay.” The ex-Freelancer looked a bit sullen, obviously, because he couldn’t tell his friends the news at dinner.  
Suddenly, ala felt like a strange kind of déjà-vu. This behavior had been typical for Wash back in Project Freelancer. North often told her about this giddy and happy way Wash used to be when something exciting happened. That was until Epsilon was implanted.

Shaking her head mentally, she again smiled at Wash. “We now have also other things to discuss and worry about. Such as asking our witnesses of our wedding, organizing the wedding itself, searching for brokers for our house in Honolulu…” Began Ala to tell all the points open. The Blood Gulch Crew settled on living in Honolulu, but they still had no houses, so that would be the first thing to do. Finding houses in close proximity of each other.  
Wash interrupted her, laughing. “Okay, okay. I get it. First settle and sit out the dangerous time.”  
“Right!” Ala grinned at her soon to be husband.

Leaning into the embrace, Ala sighed happily, enjoying the moment. Until Wash interrupted. “Although I would have loved to tell them today.”  
“I know Wash, I know.”


	11. Earth

They had to put on their armor for the last time. One last time for the welcoming on earth. After that, they would have to give back their armors to the army, so that other soldiers could wear them. Soldiers coming freshly from Basic.

Simmons felt nervous, nauseated. He was trembling slightly. He knew his family would come. Surprisingly, his dad was still alive and obviously agreed to come and welcome him back on earth. Somehow, the cyborg was sure his dad only came to see if he could make him to his loyal servant. He was old and needed someone to look after him. His mom deceased long ago of cancer. Simmons had still been in Basic back then.

Simmons felt a reassuring squeeze of his right hand. Grif. They all were wearing their armors, bare of their helmets. He could see the small smile he gave him. Everything would be okay. That was it what this smile meant. Simmons smiled back, squeezing Grifs hand back as the voice of Four Seven Niner came out of the speakers. “We’re entering the atmosphere in about two minutes. Landing in fifteen. Please go to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. It could get a little bumpy.” The last word was dripping of glee, Wash commenting that with a groan.

“Something the matter?” asked Grif casually, mustering the Freelancer beside him.  
“I already had this conversation with her and Carolina.” Giggles from the cockpit floated over. Carolina and Four Seven Niner obviously had their fun. Like back in the good ole days, Carolina took over the place of the co-pilot.  
“Uh-hu? And what happened?”  
“Four Seven Niner let the Pelican fall freely from two thousand to two feet. Saying it could get a little bumpy. Explanation enough?”  
“I said crashing.” Corrected the pilot the ex-Freelancer, beginning to laugh again as Wash only groaned. “Please don’t say crashing!” The passengers of the Pelican, the Blood Gulch Crew and some other soldiers, began laughing.

There were about two Pelicans landing on the military base on Washington D.C.  
Funny incident though Simmons, while following Grif and the others out of the plane. These two ships brought only the soldiers going to America from their ship. There will be others coming and bringing more soldiers to earth when other Ships from other places in the galaxy arrived.

The first thing Simmons did was looking up to the sky. He missed the way the terrestrial sky looked. How familiar the feeling under his boots felt. Together with the other soldiers, they waited until the president in person welcomed the first ship. After they dispersed, along with their families, it was time for them to be welcomed back home. Standing in a row with the other soldiers, they all snapped to attention, their helmets tucked under their right arm as of military regulation. For once, even Grif followed orders.

Grif could see different faces and people standing there. Most of them were unknown. Except of some few. There was his dad, why ever he came, there was Kai bubbling at the side of an elderly woman. Then there was a young woman. She looked almost like Ala, so Simmons assumed that it was Kristina, her younger sister.  
The others were unknown to him.

Simmons played along with the speech of the president, answering when he was calling his name, accepting gratitude, but that was about it. No medal, no honor, just the thanks of the entire planet and human race for his duty. As if he could buy himself something of that.

Since he was together with Grif, he wasn’t such a kiss-ass anymore. He distanced himself a bit from military high-ups, because every high-up he met mostly had something bad in mind or was generally crazy as fuck. Even Sarge.

After the welcoming, one of the Pelicans, missy, got dragged to the hangar. Four Seven Niner told them to also stay here, maybe open up a flight school or instruct the soon-to-be pilots of the military.  
All the soldiers went to a barack on their right side, changing from their armor to their normal civilian clothes. They left the armor there, now exiting the building. Grif was wearing an orange hoodie over a black shirt, together with blue jeans.

Simmons decided to wear black jeans with a white shirt and a black leather jacket he got from the girls of his squad back on chorus.

The others also were also mostly wearing jeans and shirts, together with jackets or hoodies. It was cool here, even for early fall.  
Joining the group, Simmons could see Kai running towards Grif, flinging her arms around his neck. “Dex! You’re home! Finally! Now we can go surf again!”  
Grif laughed, returning the embrace. “Yeah Kai, sure as fuck we’re going to go surfing again!”

Immediately after, Kai went over to Simmons to fall around his neck. “And you moron will learn how to surf!”  
“Uh, I think… I’m better staying out of water.” Replied the cyborg, face red as his armor had been.  
Kai put some distance in between them, Simmons thanked her for that in his mind, mustering him. “What? You anxious you would rust?” loud laughter erupted from the Grif siblings as they imagined the pictures of a rusting Simmons.  
“Uh! No! But I drown like a stone!” tried Simmons to retort, only making it worse. “And rust then?” again, both laughed, Simmons sputtering something incoherent, but not really able to form a retort.

“Kaikaina! Let this poor boy be and make some space so I can welcome my boy!” Kai immediately stepped aside, only to be replaced by a massive woman. She was even shorter than Grif, but as twice as wide as he had been in his best days.  
“You look good my dear.” These words were directed to Grif, after his mom pulled him in a bone crushing hug.  
“Thanks mom. You too. Still working at the circus?”  
“Na, I’m fed up with that. I found a work at a bar in Honolulu. Kai is living with me.” Grifs sister grinned widely.

Instead of saying something else, the eyes of Grifs mom settled on Simmons, who was standing a bit behind his fiancé, waiting nervously to move on. “And who is this handsome boy my girl greeted some minutes ago?”  
Simmons turned bright red again, sputtering some incoherent words. “Mom that’s Richard Simmons. Simmons, that’s my mom, Moana Grif.”  
“Nice to meet you boy.” Before Simmons could say something, he got pulled into a bone crushing hug by his soon mother-in-law.

Breathing in a huge gulp of air as she let go of him, he suddenly felt how someone grabbed his right hand, accompanied by an surprised exclaim of Kai. “Not true!”  
“What, honey?” that was Ms. Grif.  
“Here! Look mom!” Simmons arm got yanked around in an unnatural and painful position, making the cyborg yelp in pain.  
“Careful sweetie, don’t break his arm.” Kai let go of Simmons, letting him rub away the pain, before again taking his hand. This time more gentle and careful.

“Here! Look mommy!” again making her look on Simmons hand, before she turned around to Grif. “You finally got off of your fucking backside?”  
Grif grinned embarrassed, scratching the back of his head. “Well yeah, obviously.”

The chattering went on, his mom happy with her son finally getting married. She seemed to be a very open minded person, as she didn’t freak out because her son was going to marry another man. Okay, considering the Grif family, it wasn’t so surprising anymore.

Looking around he saw his dad scowl at him, shaking his head before leaving without a word. He didn’t even come over. Simmons heart sank. “Hey, come on. Let’s go to the airport. Our flight awaits us soon. “ muttered Grif, pulling him away. They walked to a waiting cab together with Grifs mom and Sister. “He’s not worth that you feel down. Remember what he did?”  
“I know what he did. But he’s my dad after all.”  
“No he wasn’t your dad. He might be your begetter, but he’s not your dad.” Simmons sighed, leaning his head against Grifs shoulder. “Yeah, you’re right.”

The cab pulled out into traffic to bring the Grifs and Simmons to the airport. Grif and Simmons didn’t had much left. To be honest, they mostly only had what they were wearing now. They would need to buy the rest. Luckily it paid out to be a space marine as they both had enough money to set up a whole new life.  
Simmons wouldn’t also want to take something from his old life into his new. He would leave everything behind and start new. With his family. The Grifs.

 

* * *

 

Ala hadn’t been able to relax after the president was gone, as her sister already flung her arms around her neck. “Sis!”  
“Kris?”  
“Yeah it’s me! Don’t you recognize me?”  
“You had been twelve when I left for military!” laughed Ala holding her sister on arm’s length to look at her before pulling her back into a hug. “You look great sis!”  
“You too!” Laughed her sister, before they both finally separated.

Before Kris again could say something, Ala shortly motioned over to Wash, standing beside her. “Kris, that’s Wash. Wash, that’s my sister Kristina.”  
“Nice to meet you Kristina.” Greeted Wash her, shaking her hand politely.  
“No need to be so formal. Just call me Kris. Nice to meet you.” Kris replied the shake of their hands.  
“If I knew that there are so much nice guys around in military I would have joined too!”  
“Kris!” exclaimed Ala, feeling her face heat up. She had almost forgotten how much Kai and Kris were alike sometimes. At least when it came down onto hitting on guys bluntly.

“Well, not every guy in the military is like me.” That was just one sentence, but it sounded completely different for Ala and for her sister.  
“Besides, he’s already taken.” Cut Ala in, before Kris could start another attempt, and showed her the ring she was wearing.  
“Wow! Congratulation! Come on! Let’s go to the cab. Your flight is going soon.”  
“Don’t you come with us?” asked Ala, a bit sad to leave her sister again.  
“Sure I come. That’s why we need to catch the cab. My luggage is already in there.”  
Alas face lit up, but still she wasn’t moving.

“Don’t you have someone waiting for you Wash?” she asked her fiancé, now standing beside her.  
“My parents died soon after I joined the military. And I don’t have any siblings or grandparents. So there’s no one waiting for me.” He sounded casual, but Ala knew he was sad about it. It hurt to see the families of all the others welcoming the others soldiers happily, knowing exactly no one would be waiting for you.

The flight to Hawaii was silent in many ways. Most of the people were sleeping, because the whole stress and the standing for hours exhausted them. The family members were either sleeping or doing something to get the time around. Ala soon fell asleep, her sister following shortly. During their drive to the airport, Kris told them that she was living on Oahu, one of the smaller islands, using the return of her big sister to make holidays in D.C. before returning to the island. At least they would be able to see each other more often like this.

The first sunrays painted the sky in a faint pink as the plane landed. By the time they got out of the airport, the sun was shining brightly. The cabs there brought them to the military base they would stay in until they found their own home. The family members got transferred to a close-by hotel.

Just before Wash and the others took off to meet their families and friends again Ala shortly called the broker, appointing for the next day. He would have to search houses in close by ranges to the beach for all of them. At least it would be a lucrative assignment. To be able to sell four houses in one go was a rare opportunity. Sarge and Tucker decided to rent an apartment, whilst Carolina would use the base as her home, just like Four Seven Niner. They both got job opportunities to train recruits, which expected from them to travel around the world, maybe to some close-by planets in space, which got colonialized by humans.

The next hours passed by in a blur. Ala, Wash and Kris were chatting about their lives, what they saw and what their plans were. Ala and Wash decided to keep the secret about Alas pregnancy for themselves. At least there were still more than two months to go until the critical three months were over.  
As the sun set, Kris left for the airport to fly back to Oahu. She had to work the next day and wanted to shortly go home before leaving again for her shift.

Ala and Wash decided to go back to the base and start organizing everything for their new life.

 

* * *

 

They were sitting in a restaurant close to the military base. Grif again inhaling the food in an alarming pace, Simmons trying to coax him into at least using his table manners. But of no avail. Grif was eating as shitty as ever, Kai laughing her ass off and Simmons huffing frustrated. Grifs mom observed the three of them. Her long hair was almost white by now, wrinkles and age marks were beginning to appear.

The life span of a human got increased massively by now. They were able to reach the age of 150 without problems by now, the oldest human had gotten almost 200. Luckily the evolution granted that most of the life you look as young as thirty-five, maybe forty.  
Grif and Simmons just had reached the first third of their life span. Grifs mom obviously was in the last part, what made her look older. Simmons guessed that she was around 120i, maybe a bit older.

“Hey mom, what’s with this change of heart all of a sudden? When I was drafted you were an alcoholic, working as freak for the circus and a slut.”  
“Grif!” hissed Simmons, looking at his fiancé with exasperation. They just had met and he was insulting his own mom already with such harsh words.  
“It’s okay Richard.” Waved the elderly woman her soon to be good son off. “I deserved it. Besides, I taught my children to be honest.” Simmons wanted to say something about the harshness of her words, but she made him shut up with a kind smile.

“I’m dry for more than ten years now. It was also the time I left the circus and went back to Hawaii to get a real job. After Kaikaina suddenly left to go after you, I thought a lot about you two and my role of a mother. And I realized that I did more wrong than right.”  
“You’re telling me.” Snorted Grif, slight anger underlying his words.  
“I know you had to rise your sister and yourself alone for most of the time, and I’m sorry about that. That’s why I decided to change myself. That I at least can be a good mom when you return safe and sound.”

There was a long silence settling in, Grif only observing his mom attentively, slight anger sparkling in his eyes. “You know that I can trust you so easily again.” It was a statement. No question.  
“I know my dear. But I hope nonetheless you’re willing to give me a chance.”  
“We will see. First you have to prove yourself.”  
His mom nodded, accepting the condition of her son.

Simmons observed these two, how they went back to discuss a more lightly subject, avoiding the one which could cause them to walk on dangerous ground.  
Even Kai sometimes gave her opinion about the subject, making the three discuss avidly.  
Simmons looked out of the window, thinking of his father. He didn’t change at all. He might have come to the reception, but he left as soon as he saw that his son hadn’t gotten straight during the military. He even seemed furious as he saw that Simmons was engaged to another man.

A hand waving in front of his face drew his attention back to reality.  
“Hey, earth to Simmons. You there?”  
“Yeah, sorry Dex. What did you say?”  
“I asked if we all should go outside, have an ice cream and have a walk on the beach. Kai came up with the idea.”  
“Not true!” cut Kai in, but was ignored by her brother.  
“Oh yes, sure.”

After they paid the bill, the four people left the restaurant, getting an ice cream and made their way down to the beach to enjoy the setting sun.


	12. First step

Slowly, really really slowly, Grif began to notice something around him. There was a throbbing pain in his abdomen and crotch. And a buzzing feeling in his head. He felt like floating on air and felt oddly detached from the world.

With a small whimper, he tried to sit up. Why was he in pain anyway?  
There was a hand on his forehead, and a well known voice calling out for the nurse.  
“Sim…mons?” managed the Hawaiian to mutter.  
“Yeah it’s me Grif. I’m here. Don’t worry.”  
“Uh-hu.” Another whine escaped his throat.

Another figure appeared in the room, shortly rummaging around, before facing him. “How do you feel Mister Grif?”  
“Like shit.”  
“Do you feel pain?”  
“A whole fucking lot.” Whined Grif in return. He was a bit more awake by now, seeing the nurse and Simmons clearly.

The nurse shortly left the room, coming back with a syringe and injecting the cleare fluid into the cannula attached to his arm. “The painkillers will soon be doing their work. You should try to sleep.”  
Grif groaned in reply and the nurse left with the information to Simmons that he should call her when they needed help.

Just as the nurse disappeared, the cyborg sat down on the edge of the bed, grabbing Grifs free hand. The one which wasn’t occupied with cannulas. Entwining their fingers, he looked at him with a gentle smile. “How do you feel?”  
“Shit.”  
“I can imagine that. But the doc said everything went well. Your healing process is way further than normal. I told him you always recover pretty fast. If you keep that up you can leave the hospital in a week, not in three as initially scheduled.” Rambled Simmons on, relieved that Grif was awake and everything was fine.

Grif groaned again. “Yeah, at least something.” Muttered the Hawaiian. “Hey Simmons?”  
“Yeah Grif?”  
“I’m thirsty. Can you get me something to drink?”  
“Sure.” Simmons turned around and got a glass from the bedside table. Filling unsweetened tea in the glass before helping Grif drink it.

Dex was relieved that Simmons helped him drink without making a fuzz about. He would have been too weak to drink on his own.  
After drinking half a glass, Grif laid back on the bed, his eye lids heavy. “I’m tired.”  
“I know. You should sleep. Good night.” Grif felt the familiar pressure of lips against his forehead, just like Simmons would do when Grif was sick or injured, before he drift off to sleep.

It all started with the article in the news papers. After coming back, buying a house near the beach (They were unbelievingly happy, everyone finding a house in the same quarter, in the immediate neighborhood of each other) and settling in, they decided to look for a doctor making this kind of surgery.

After visiting different doctors, one of them finally gave them an address to where they should go. It was a polyclinic in Iowa doing this kind of surgery as only in the whole land.  
After first phone calls and video chats with the doc, they decided to go to Iowa to meet the doc personally. Going to the policlinic they met this doc, he was relatively young, but already a coriphee on this special part.

Their appointment went on for almost the whole day, consisting the doc talking with them about all kind of stuff to get to know them better. As he seemed to have the impression of knowing enough and that they were actually okay for that surgery, he explained the the method and the functioning of the artificial pregnancy.

Soon after, the most important question of the whole appointment came up.  
“So, now I need do know who is going to undergo the surgery.” The doc looked from Simmons to Grif and back expectantly.  
“I do it.” Grif didn’t hesitate to give the answer without Simmons being able to form a coherent sentence. The doc blinked, surprised by the fast answer. Grif and Simmons already decided that Grif would undergo the surgery.

First because he wanted his own kids. Secondly because anyone of them knew how Simmons cyborg body would react to this intrusion. His belly wouldn’t even be able to form a bump to give the baby enough space.  
And third, the most important of all, if Grif was pregnant, he could stay at home a nap as much as he wanted to. So he would have loads of time to do so.

Grif only remembered that he had to jack off after everything was settled and the necessary forms were signed, to give some DNA material. Somewhat about imprinting this DNA on ovas. Whatever. At least it works.

After jacking off, he got pills to take and the information to come back in three months, when the pills were working and his body was prepared.

Well, those three months were over and there he was, laying on the bed and sleeping soundly, just woken up some minutes ago from the surgery.

 

* * *

 

 

About a week and a half later, Grif was cleared to go home to Hawaii, the doc there taking over the surveillance and the care for the time following, until the Grifs decided to undo the change.

Their flight arrived in the middle of the night. Thankfully Wash had been on some kind of survival training with the recruits, and was just done with his shift. He volunteered to get them from the airport, back to their house.

“Hey, thanks Wash. I know it isn’t easy for you too.” Muttered Grif, sleepdrunken from napping in the airplane. After Ala and the soon to be born fellow survived the first three months, the Washingtons invited their friends over for dinner on a Saturday evening, dropping the bombshell.

First, Tucker and Grif thought that they were shitting with them, and it took Ala and Wash quiet some effort to persuade the guys that they were telling the truth. The black haired woman even got pretty damn angry, stomping out of the room.

That was just before Wash excused for the outbreaks of her, obviously it was something common during the pregnancy, and went after her, just to bring her back some minutes after. Alaska was grinning and smiling again, the angry outburst some minutes earlier already forgotten.

The ex-Freelancer shrugged. “It’s okay. Ala will be asleep anyway. Besides, she’s not always that bad.”  
“She’s just a jackass when awake?”  
“Actually no. Most of the time she’s like normal. There are just those sudden mood changes.”  
“Uh-hu, and they seem to happen often.” Grif couldn’t stop from boring in the wound.

Wash looked at him out of the vorner of his eyes, before focusing again on the traffic.  
“You know what? After you have been pregnant, we’ll talk about it again, okay?” snapped Wash slightly angry.  
“You think that I’ll be cranky all the time? Dude, I’m way too chilled for that.”  
“Actually no, I don’t suppose you’re going to have mood changes. I do more suspect you to have even bigger eating attacks as usual.” Grif crossed his arms. “Hey at least I’m working all day long! My surf school doesn’t do itself!”

Again a look from Wash as he mustered the Hawaiian. Right, he had a surf and diving school together with Tucker. It didn’t go too good. But not too bad either. Average at best. But thei had their own thing and both were working hard for it. Tucker already whined about the fact that Grif was gone for so long, him leaving all the work to do. After doing all the necessary schools and educations, they rented a small bungalow at the beach and set up the school.

The locals mostly came over to have a chat with the two uneven friends, while the toursists came for school. Grif making an arrangement with the other schools that they would get provision for every pupil they sent over to their school when they were full. Or other way around, Grif and Tucker getting provision for sending pupils to other diving or surfing schools when full.

Arriving in the street Grif and Simmons were living, Wash pulled the car up to the driveway to their house, stopping the engine and helping Simmons with the luggage. Grif waddled inside the hosue, not allowed to lift heavy things for at least a week.

Wash only rose his eyebrow to the strange way of walking of the Hawaiian. This would become permanent if he kept that up. Besides, he didn’t want to know how bad Grif would walk when he was waddling like already being in the ninth month.  
Biding his good byes, Wash started the car and drove to his home about five minutes away.

Simmons carried the luggage up the stairs, Grif already up there and changing to his sleeping clothes. Some sweaters and a shirt. He was already sitting on the bed, waiting for his love to come.  
But obviously, the cyborg had something else in mind as he began unpacking the luggage, stuffing away the clean clothes and throwing the dirty ones into the washing basket.

“Can’t you do that tomorrow? It’s in the middle of the fucking night!”  
“I rather do it now. Because I know you wouldn’t let me unpack the stuff even tomorrow you lazy ass.”  
“Soon pregnant lazy ass.”  
“Whatever, but you’re a lazy fatass. And now let me unpack our stuff.”  
“Cleanliness freak!”  
“At lweast I clean up! Otherwise our house would look like towns waste depony by now.”

“Aw come on! It’s not that bad.”  
“Yes it is.” Retorted the cyborg in a deadpanned voice.  
“So no cuddles today?”  
“As if you would be satisfied only with cuddles just being home after more than two weeks not being here.”  
Grif grinned caught. It was a cute smile. When he did that, he used to pull up his shoulders, like trying to hide his head inbetween. He tilt his head slightly, so that he had to look up, his tonge tucked inbetween his teeth, accompanied by a smile.

Simmons sighed. Somehwen, his slack way of treating Grifs laziness would chastise him. But he didn’t care.  
“You know the doc said you aren’t allowed to pollute the wound.” Noticed the cyborg as he walked over to the Hawaiian sitting on the bed.  
“And? Im bottom anyway. There are plenty possibilities to not pollute the wound.” Replied the Hawaiian a huge grin spreading across his face. Simmons sighed. Grif knew he won.

 

* * *

 

 

Wash just came home, putting down the working bag and slipping out of his shoes, he noticed a dim light in the living room. Walking over to the couch, he saw Ala sitting there.

“Hey, you still up?” greeted the Freelancer his tired looking fiancé with a kiss  
“Yeah.”  
“You look tired.”  
“I am tired enough to sleep. But not our little fellow. She’s all nervous this evening.”  
“Then let’s get you to bed. Maybe you two will sleep when I’m around.”  
“Yeah.” The Black haired soman let herself be maneuvered to the sleeping room and their bed without much resistance.

Laying down on the bed, she waited for Wash to get ready, indeed, the baby beginning to calm down as soon as Wash was back in the room. Although it was already late, Ala sat on the bed, waiting for Wash to sit down beside her.

“Her?” The ex-Freelancers voice was clearly amused.  
“Yep, her.” Replied Ala, stroking softly over the small baby bump.  
“I thought you didn’t find out the sex of the baby last time you were at the gynecologists?”  
“That’s true, he didn’t find out because I don’t want to know it. As long as the baby is safe and sound the sex doesn’t matter to me.”  
“But how come you’re sure about it then?”  
“I just have the feeling that the little one will be a girl. I always think of her.” Ala shrugged her shoulders. “It’s like… When I talk about the baby, I always say it’s her or she. I never thought about the fact it could be a boy. I guess that some kind of motherly instinct.”

“So you say it’s your sixth sense telling you that?”  
“Something like that.” Replied Ala, still stroking the baby bump. Wash laid his hand on the bump, indeed feeling the faint movements of the baby underneath his hand.  
“I think she just kicked me.” Declared Wash with a somehow overly stern expression. Although the situation wasn’t funny at all, Ala began to laugh at this statement.

“What do you think happens to me all the time?” asked the black haired woman with a fond tone in her voice after calming down. “I get headbutts, buttbutts, kicks and hits all the time.”  
Now Wash smiled. “I know. But I can’t wait for the baby to be born.”  
“Yeah, me neither.” Ala replied the kiss Wash gave her. It was a gentle and loving kiss, without hurry or something. Just a gesture to show their feelings for each other.

“Whe should go to sleep.”  
“Yeah, I’m tired, and she has settled down too.” Replied Ala, gently stroking her baby bump.  
Both of them settled in for the night, soon after soundly asleep in their new home theye bought some weeks ago. It still was everything so new and unused. And yet it was already a place Ala could call home. Mostly because Wash was here.


	13. Yes

It was a wonderful day. The sun was shining and there was no cloud on the sky. A bit chilly though, but wonderful.

Wash stood outside the small basement and waited for the time the pastor would call him in. It wasn’t exactly a church or a chappell. But it was way too cold to be outside longer than normal. Wash and Alaska decided to marry as soon as possible. What meant about six month after their arrival on earth. Ala was in the seventh month by now and everyone could see the baby bump.

Until now, his soon to be wife was nowhere to be seen. Wash knew she was closeby but would wait until he was in the little basement. Wash should see her when entering the church. Like the old tradition. Not seeing the bride before the marriage in her dress, because doing so would mean bad luck.

The pastor appeared, informing Wash that he would be allowed to come in, along with the guests. There was everyone from Blood Gulch, Carolina, Kai, Mama Grif, Four Seven Niner and Alas Sister Kris. They weren’t much people, but they were family and friends for Ala and Wash.  
Althoug, he had to admit with a sad feeling while entering the basement, he would have loved to have his other friends around on his big day. Like North or York or Maine or Connie. He missed them. During such days even more.

“Come on dude. Let’s get inside.” Gently, Tucker nudged him towards the basement, making him move to the altar and sit down on one of the seats there. Serena, aka Four Seven Niner, sat on Alas side. Washs Groomsman was Tucker. He had the strongest bond with the ex-teal armored soldier and wanted him to be his grooms man, even though Grif also aked him for it.

If the Freelancers would still be alive, he probably would have asked York or North or Maine for taking that place. But they were dead.  
The melody of the piano changed (Ala and Wash were adamant that they didn’t want an organ playing at their wedding) and the doors opened. Irina, a famous pianist and old friend of Alaska was immediately in game when she was asked to play the songs for Alas wedding.

Said person just entered the church, led by Sarge. She had asked the old soldier if he would give her the honor to bring her in. Her dad was already dead and wouldn’t be able to bring her in. And as Sarge got someone who’s advice she appreciated during the years of fighting, she asked him. Although he was rambling about nothing in particular, he agreed. The rambling was just cover for the emotions wailing up inside him.

It was pretty clear that he was pretty proud of being the lead for the bride. His posture was proud and upright, his head held high. Ala was beside him, her hand on his forearm. It was a beautiful sight. Her dress was a strapeless white dream with a short train (She could take it up to not tear it over every shit and ruin the dress). Whilst the upper part around her chest was straight, showing the baby bump clearly, the dress was wavy. It was sewed to give away the impression of waves.

In the middle top of the chest piece were blue rhinestones forming a trail winding down over the left side of the dress, ending where the wavy part began. On the skirt were some few rhinestones, placed on the parts where the fabric had been pulled together to give this unique wavy look. She wasn’t wearing a veil and also not hiding her mechanical body part.

Although the military paid her and Simmons an adjustment. It was a process to cover the mechanical body parts with a fake skin to protect the body parts from rusting and give away a look of normal. Most of the people here were still freaked out about Ala having a cybernetic arm. And Simmons being half cybernetic.

Anyway. Sarge helped Ala sit down on the seat beside Wash, before sitting down in the front row of seats. Reaching over, Wash held his hand out, waiting for Ala to take it. What she did some seconds later.  
The pastor appeared at the Altar, beginning with his speak just as last tone of the piano play faded away.

Donut scurried around, taking fotos of the ceremony. Even if Ala hadn’t asked, he would have volunteered to take photos. They all knew that Donut might be annoying, but he was an ace when it came to photography. Only logical they wanted him for taking photos of the ceremony.

The ceremony itself went on without greater issues. Their little fellow seemed to be as nervous as Ala. His wife was shaking slightly, the baby seemed to train for some kind of fight. He often saw the belly slightly deform when the baby kicked or hit against it. To calm it, no her, the black haired woman laid a hand on the belly, stroking it gently.

Soon came the part where both said “I do.” Before exchanging the wedding rings they bought about a week ago. Washs was a white gold with black edges. Alas was the same, only with a small diamond embedded in the top of the ring.

Both of the rings had in addition the name of their partners (On Washs ring was Alas name) and the date of their wedding.

It was strange, but the ex-Freelancer almost missed it when the pastor said that they could go because the party awaited them. Was it really already over? It went on somehow way too fast!

With a small smile, his wife tugged at his hand to make him stand up and move out of the basement. Donut was already waiting to take some photographs. But as it was rather chilly, they decided to do that in the house close by the beach they rent for the next three days. They would be celebrating the party, everyone being able to sleep there, even having a room on their own.

Carolina and Donut had been here the morning before the wedding and the Washingtons now saw why. Whilst Wash was gaping at the things they set up, Ala cried. One of her mood changes. She got back to normal pretty fast, but excused herself shortly to put up some new make up as the other was blurred.

The whole house was decorated. There were place cards with the name of each guest, making sure they would mix well, balloons and paper streamer hanging around. Wash was sure that they both also prepared the room for the freshly married couple. Maybe with rose petals (His earlier suspicion about that would prove right during the night when they went to bed).

Arrived at the house, being in the warmth and Ala having her make-up fixed, they all were ready for a photosession. First only the freshly married couple, after that together with the witnesses of the marriage, then with their friends, family and in the end all together.

As it was done, they all settled, while Kris and Sister disappeared to the kitchen and got the food a catering service deposited there, putting it up so everybody could go and take what and how much they liked. And of course the bride and the groom would be allowed to take first. After that everyone went, Simmons holding back Grif until the last.

Wash smiled as he listened to their banter. Grif was afraid there wouldn’t be enough left for him to survive, whilst Simmons only rolled his eyes and said there was enough. Which Grif countered with the reason that he had to eat more than normal, to prepare for the case (Codewort for the pregnancy). Simmons sighting exasperated, saying that he could eat for two when the time was there when he really had to eat for two. Grif replied with a whine to it.

Ala beside him chuckled. “I wonder when it will happen.”  
Wash blinked shortly, taking some moments to understand what she meant, before he began to smile. Grif and Simmons were now gone, also getting food. “I wonder too. Anyway I wish for them to happen soon.”  
“Yeah me too. They will be wonderful dads.”  
“I’m sure of that.”  
“Like you.”  
“What? Like me? How do you know that?”  
“I feel it.”

And as if this was reason enough for Ala, she began eating and finished the discussion with this action. Wash looked at her some moments with a slightly dumbfolded expression, but again smiled and also began eating. He somehow was way too lightheaded to be discussing sucht heavy themes like if being a good dad or not today. This was their big day and they were supposed to enjoy it and celebrate.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning Ala came down, she could see that everything was already cleaned up and prepared for the next day. Huh? It wasn’t exactly early in the morning, but also not too late for everyone to be already up.

To her surprise, there was Carolina in the kitchen, doing the cleaning up.  
“Shouldn’t you be asleep? You were up with us until in the morning.”  
“Good morning to you too, Ala.” Behind the glee and the sarcasm was sadness. Ala knew Carolina long enough for that to hear this slight note out of it.  
“And no, I’m not asleep, obviously. I couldn’t sleep. So I decided to make myself useful.”  
“I thank you for that. But why couldn’t you sleep. Was the bed too uncomfortable? Or is something else the matter?”

Carolina stopped with the washing, looking in the water in the sink she was working on. She looked sad. Alaska leaned against the counter beside Carolina, before deciding something and grabbing Carolinas arm. While walking out she got her jacket. “Come on, let’s get for a walk at the beach.”

Much to Alakas surprise, Carolina didn’t fight her. She only took her jacket too and followed her silently.  
“It’s because of York.” Admitted Carolina finally. They were already walking alongside the beach for some minutes. Ala sighed.  
“Right, I guess lots of days where you are meant to be happy remind you of him, right?”

“Yeah, that’s why… I couldn’t sleep yesterday. Everything reminds me of him. He was a dork, yes, but he was wonderful in his own way. And he always said he would marry me after the project.” Carolina let hear a sad laugh. “He even already bought the engagement ring. Wash found it in his armor and gave it to me.”  
“The small box then on Chorus?”  
Carolina nodded, lifting her hand. There was a ring.

“You’re wearing it.” Stated Ala, mustering the ring. It was a simple golden ring with an embedded diamond. Simple but beautiful. Something fitting perfectly for Carolina.  
The ex-Freelancer nodded again. “Yeah, I somehow have the feeling I need to wear this ring. Maybe to show York that I would have accepted. Somehow for my own comfort.”

“You don’t need to justify the reasons why you’re doing it.” Ala then interrupted gently, linking her arm with Carolinas while walking back. She didn’t fight the sudden closeness. “You still love him and if you feel you want to wear the ring, then wear it. We don’t judge you. Wash knows first hand how you and York were. I know it from North.” Explained Ala, chuckling shortly before continuing. “You know, he always told me that he couldn’t understand why York didn’t get his ass up and ask you. Those two were often talking about that, and York always said he wanted it to be perfect.”

Carolina smiled sadly. “Yes, that’s the dork York I knew.”  
The black haired woman smiled warmly, rubbing over Carolinas arm before saying. “You know, sometimes I’d wish the guys would be still alive. I’m sure they would have turned our wedding bash into a hell of a party.”  
For the first time since long, Carolina laughed freely. It wasn’t loud and overwhelming. It was silently but freely.

“You could bet your house on it. They would have made you and the others play every awful game they were able to come up with. And don’t let me start what happenes after raiding your booze-stash.”  
This time, it was Ala to laugh. “Right, North told me a story or two about your famous parties when you had a pass.”  
“Don’t start with that. They were awful at best.” Scoffed Carolina. “At best South or Connie had to handle a clingy Wash, maybe Maine carrying him home, whilst I was occupied with York trying to undress me on our way back to the Mother of Invention.”

Ala again laughed as they waked up the stairs to the house. “Okay, and from where do the stories about the famous parties come?”  
“From the parties we had on the ship. Like birthdayparties. When there was an occasion for the party like a birthday, North and York could get pretty entertaninig and crafty when it comes down on having fun for some hours.” Carolinas face softened as she thought back at the memories she held dear.

“You know, I would have loved it to have been part of such a party. It sounds like a lot of fun.”  
“Believe me.” Laughed Carolina. “It was. Absolutely. We never had so much fun like then.”  
“Sure thing. You know Carolina, you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want. Wash and I understand if you rather would leave if this is getting too much for you.” Ala switched immediately from casual chatting to a stern subject.

The ex-Freelancer only shook her head. Red bangs wipping with the movement. She had dyed her hair just some days before the wedding.  
“No it’s okay. Wash is like a little brother for me I never had. I am happy to be here. Although it hurts.”

The black haired nodded. “Okay, but I tell it again. Go if you like to go. Inform us and you can leave. Don’t think we would be mad about it, okay? We can understand your situation.”  
“Yes thanks, Ala.”  
“No thing. Come on, let’s get inside before I freeze to death here.” Ala tugged Carolina inside. There still was anyone around, mostly of them propably still sleeping off their jag.

Beginning to prepare the food for the breakfast, it was about eleven o’clock by now, Carolina and Ala were working in silence. Or mostly. The little fellow was awake, again training hard.  
It made Alaska chuckle and Carolina look at her curiously.  
“The baby is training again.” Explained the black haired woman, again stroking the baby bump with a fond expression.

“I’m sure it’ll be a strong baby. Just like its parents.” Replied Carolina, observing the deformation of the baby bump. “Do you already have a name for it?”  
“Her.”  
“What?”  
“I’m pretty sure it’s a girl. I feel it somehow. If I think about names, there are only girl’s names coming to my mind.”

Carolina smiled. “Okay, so do you have a name for her then?”  
“Don’t tell anyone, we want to keep it a secret until the baby is born. But we thought about naming her ‘Connie’.”  
“Huh? Just like CT-Connie?”  
“Exactly like her.”

“A name of a strong and capable fighter and a wonderful person. This name would be perfect for her.”  
“I said that too. Although it took some time to get Wash to like the name. He first didn’t want to name the baby like that.”  
“Understandably.” Agreed Carolina to Alas explanations. The black haired woman nodded. “Yeah, but eventually he then accepted it and now he wouldn’t want to name the baby other than ‘Connie’.”  
Carolina smiled again. “You will be wonderful parents, I’m sure.”

“I hope so. Actually I hoped you would be a wonderful aunt for her.”  
“Me? You want me to be her godmother?”  
“Wash and I want you to be the godmother of her.” Again Ala stroked over the baby bump. The baby had calmed down.  
“I- uh- wow… That’s surprising.”  
“Take your time. I don’t want your answer now. Take your time to think about it.”  
“No it’s okay. I feel greatly honored and accept.” Carolina smiled at Ala, as she did at Carolina.  
“Good, because I wouldn’t want anyone else than you for her.”

This time, Carolina beamed because she seemed to be so happy about Ala asking her to be the godmother of the soon to be born baby.


	14. Cry

Two month after the wedding, Ala was at home, cleaning up. Her back hurt a little and she felt a bit tired, at least she was in the last days of the pregnancy. The little fellow could come every moment.

Carrying the plates from breakfast to the sink, she felt again a slight pang of pain. She had it often during the last days. And the doc said it was completely normal to feel that. It was like knocking on a door to ask for entry. Just in this case, the ‘knocking’ was to announce that someone would be born soon.

Everytime Ala felt the slight pang, she used to look to the entrance of the house. There sat a black suitcase, filled with clothes and the most necessary stuff to make a quick leave when the birth was about to start. The black haired woman felt nervous. She already told Wash that she felt like today would be the day and he promised to come home as soon as possible. He had holidays the next week, so he would hopefully be around. But with the military, there was only one thing for sure, that nothing would go like planned.

As said, Ala was nervous. She somehow couldn’t wait for the baby to come. To finally see and hold the little human, which grew over the last eight and a half month in her belly. Ala had felt her movements, her kicks and hits. When the black haired woman was nervous, the baby was it too. When she was sad, the baby often began to move. But not all rough like usually. More gentle. Like telling her that she was still there, like giving her comfort. Ala used to give back the comfort in stroking over the belly, something that used to calm her down.

Ala sat down at the kitchen table, finished with every work she could do. Looking over to the living room, she rememberd her and Wash often laying on the couch there. She had snuggled closedly to him, her head on his chest. The baby began to kick in times like these. Like either trying to show something to him or just reacting on the heat of his body. Ala couldn’t tell what was it exactly that she reacted like she did. The black haired woman often had the impression as if the baby was trying to get in contact with Wash. It might be a misinterpretation, but it was like that.

They often used to lay there and talk about what they would do with the baby, once it was born. After being rather reluctant to accommodate to the new situation, the ex-Freelancer got more and more excited the closer the birth came. He now was waiting impatiently until he could hold his kid the first time. Maybe they would have more than one kid. Ala would like to have more than one kid, like Wash. After all, they’re house was big enough for a big family. As Caboose decided to stay with Donut, they had even more space and time to look after kids.

Again a small pang and Ala decided with a sigh that she would go take a warm bath to loosen the pain. At least it was still about a week to the official birth date.

Walking to the stairs to go up to the bathroom with the bathtub, she felt something trickle down her leg. Maybe her menstruation kicked… Wait. She couldn’t have her days, she was pregnant after all.  
“… oh fucking shit!” Cursed Ala loudly, running to the bathroom downstairs, and managing it on the toilet just as her water broke. Well, shit… That meant that the baby had another schedule than her parents.

Wash was still at the work, she wouldn’t get him to pick her up and bring her to the hospital in time. Never. Who else…? Tucker was living with a chick at the moment. What a surprise, he didn’t learn a tiny little bit from junior, knocking up the next chick he got into bed. Now he was living with her until the baby would be born. The mother already said she didn’t want the baby, but she couldn’t abort it anymore. So it was up to Tucker to take care of. Fucking moron. They all were pretty pissed of Tucker, but eventually the accepted it. He was like family for them all. They even helped him moving out of his old apartment, finding a new one to move in with the baby.

Anyway, back to topic. Alaska was on the loo and her water just broke. What to do? Sarge surely wouldn’t help. But wait, maybe Grifs. Grif had holiday this week together with Simmons. They decided to not go away, instead staying here and enjoying the time together. At least they were still trying to get a baby. Stress would be contraproductive.

Taking her phone out of the pocket of her jacket, she dialed the number of Grifs. It rang about three times before someone answered it.  
“Simmons.”  
“Hey Simmons, it’s me Ala.” She suppressed a painful huff. The throes were getting stronger, but the time between them was still too much to be serious worried.  
“Oh hey Ala. How are you doing? How’s the pregnancy.”  
“Good, I’m good.” Replied Ala, before asking. “Do you mind getting Grif on the phone?”  
“Sure, wait a moment.”

Simmons laid down the phone, calling for Grif. As of the discussion following, Grif seemed to give a negative answer. There were some Lazyass, fattass, nerds and assholes to be heard over the phone, until heavy steps approached and the phone was taken up.  
“Grif.” Grifs voice was darker than Simmons, even more noticeable over the phone.  
“Hey Grif, I need you to drive me to the hospital.”  
“Why?” Ala could imagine the lazy Hawaiian being on alert in less than a second.  
“My water broke just now.”  
“Fuck. Why didn’t you tell Simmons? He took up the phone.”  
“Because your boyfriend would go in panic mode. And until he’s out of it, my baby would be out of me.”

Grif huffed, somewhat annoyed and amused all the same. “Give us five minutes and we’re over.”  
“Got it.”  
Snatching three towels Ala awkwardly pressed one between her legs and would use the two to sit on. She didn’t want to ruin the car of Grifs. They just got a new one some days ago.

Walking over to the entrance, she just heard the car pull up to the entryway. Taking her suitcase, she left the house, being greeted by Simmons and Grif, helping her to the car. She sat on the backseat together with Grif, who observed her with a worried glance. Simmons was driving, but Ala could tell he was close to panick. His knuckles were white from clenching his hands around the steering wheel.

While the car merged back into traffic and made his way towards the hospital, Ala called her husband. She first had to call through three different offices until she got Wash on the line.  
“Washington.”  
“Hey Wash it’s me.”  
“Ala? I’m just about to finish work and come home.”  
“You don’t need to go home. Come to the hospital.”  
“What? What happened?”  
“My water broke.”  
“But… It’s too early!” leave it to Wash to freak in every new situation, as unfortunate and inappropriate it may be.

Grif took Alas phone as she vainly tried to tell Wash that everything was okay.  
“Dude, better move your ass over to the hospital. I’m not playing midwife.” Grunted the Hawaiian in the phone, before hanging up.

Arrived at the hospital, Simmons pulled up to the driveway for the emergency, letting Ala and Grif exit, before searching a parking lot.  
Just as he jumped out of the car, he could see the steel van of Washingtons arrive, pulling in the parking lot beside him and a stressed looking Wash jumping out of it, not even bothering to close the car properly.

After Simmons made him do that (They didn’t need a stolen car on top of everything else) both of them made their way to the hospital. A nurse at the entrance welcomed them. “I’m Washington. My wife just arrived here. The delivery just began.”  
“Oh yes, it’s the way down there.” The nurse pointed over to a double door, before looking askingly to Grif. “How can I help you sir?”  
“My boyfriend is around here somewhere. He brought her in.” The nurse gave him an odd look, what caused Simmons face to light up in a crimson red, before he turned around and simply followed Wash.

Indeed, outside one of the rooms, there was Grif, keeping an eye on the suitcase and directing Wash to the right room where Ala was. While Wash disappeared through the doors, Simmons sat down beside Grif. “Wow…”  
“You could say that.” Replied Grif, staring at the door.  
“Are we gonna wait here?” Simmons felt a bit nervous about that.  
“We don’t need to. Wait a moment, I’ll just text Wash that we’re waiting in the cafeteria so that he can pick up the suit case for Ala afterwards.”  
Simmons nodded and waited until Grif was done with the texting and accompanied him to the cafeteria. They both were nervous, Simmons could tell. Because he felt like passing out in the next moment and Grif inhaling all the food of the cafeteria in an alarming pace.

 

* * *

 

“Come on, just one more time.” Wash gently stroked with his thumb over Alas hand he held. The other laid on her head, his thumb ghosting over the sweaty forehead.  
“You already told me that two hours ago!” snapped Ala, before she again was shut up by a throe, making her press with all the strength she had.

“There’s the head, not long and the baby is here.”  
“For fucks sake I hope it’ll be soon!” groaned the black haired woman, another throe making her clenching her hand around Washs. His face contorted in pain because she was squishing his hand, but he wasn’t complaining. He could imagine that Ala was in bigger pain than he.

Besides, some wounds had been bigger and more painful than that.  
“Come on, try to breathe like you learned it.” They both had been in the courses for birth preparation. It was a necessity that the soon to be dad also was participating some of the courses.  
“Oh, shut up! Nnnnngh!” snapped Ala, but Wash wasn’t really listening anymore to her as suddenly a cry ripped the silence in the room appart.

The crying was loud and sounded like the sweetest thing to Wash just in this moment.  
“It’s a sound baby girl! Congratulation!” announced the midwife, whilst the doctor and the other midwifes helped to cut the umbilical cord and lay her, all bloody and dirty, on Alas chest.  
Washs wife laid her arms around the little human with a fond and happy smile, observing how the crying slowly subdued, until the little girl looked at her with wide eyes.

Like the doc said, the sound of Alas heartbeat would calm her down. It was a sound, the girl learnt during the nine month of bearing learnt to identify as calming. Her baby blue eyes looked up, looking at her mom with wide eyes.  
“Hey there.” Greeted Ala the child, Wash sitting beside the bed and observing these two in making their first contact.

The doc appeared beside the bed, intruding the blissful peace of these two. “Do you already have a name for her?” He looked happy to see that baby and mom were both safe and sound.  
“Connie.” Wash blinked shortly. Right, they agreed on this name, but it was somehow still strange to name the kid after his lost close friend. But he was okay with this name. He even nodded as the doc looked questioningly at him.

After the first contact, one of the midwifes came and taking Connie with her, shortly bring the girl to make medical check ups and bath her for the first time.

Beside Wash, Ala was laying on the bed, her eyes closed. She looked more at ease, although she seemed to want to say something. Wash sat down beside her, looking at her questioningly.  
“I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it.” Breathed the black haired woman while still sucking in air.  
“It’s okay. You did great. I’m proud of you.” Replied the ex-Freelancer, still stroking over the forehead of his wife.

He was unbelievingly proud of her. Today she did great. Although the throes were coming at short intervals, she even managed to get him down of his panick-trip he used to have in unused situation. Al the while, while being in pain, she somehow managed it to keep him in check and away from panicking. And now, their little girl was born and both of them were safe and sound. He couldn’t really believe the happiness he was feeling just now.

Some minutes later, the nurse came back with Connie. She was freshly bathed and wrapped up in a towel. She still was looking at the world with big eyes. Walking to the freshly made parents, she looked at Wash this time, softly dandling the little bundle in her arms. “Mr. Washington. Would you like to say hello to your kid?”

Suddenly, he felt unsure and nervous. What if he let the small baby fall to the ground? Or held her wrong? If he hurt her? He wasn’t sure if he should hold the small bundle there. He felt too big all of a sudden, Too massive and bulky to be really gentle with the baby.  
“Come on Wash, sit down.” Ala pulled herself up in a sitting position, making Wash sit down on the bed.

The nurse came over, gently showed him to hold the small bundle correctly. “Attention, her head.” Was the last thing he heard of the midwife as she gently pulled away her arms and the small figure of his daughter was laying in his arms. She was mustering him with wide eyes, the small hand opening and closing. There were small sounds coming from her too, as if she was astonished to see her father for the first time. And he was astonished to see her for the first time.

“Hey Connie. Welcome on the world.” Wash heard himself saying that before he even processed what just happened. The small eyes got a bid wider if possible, but the eyes stayed fixed on Washs face. He somehow had the intention as if she would recognize his voice she surely heard during the nine month.

Feeling a weight on his shoulder, Wash turned his head to see Ala bracing her head gently on his shoulder. She still was all sweaty and looked worn out. But aside of that, she looked fine. Even happy.  
“How does it feel to hold your daughter for the first time?” her voice sounded like she looked. Worn out. But happy.  
“Wonderful. She’s a beautiful child.” Ala snickered, before laying back down.

The nurses came in to bring her to the bathroom and afterwards to the patient’s room where she would stay for the next two days. Not because of Ala. More because of Connie to be sure that everything was okay.  
Another nurse came, saying she would bring Connie on the baby station. She already labeled one of her small wrists with a band where her name was written on it and when she was born.

Just before Ala got rolled out, he held the nurses back, informing them he would get Alas and Connies clothes they brought with.  
After getting out of the room, he suddenly felt all shaky and his knees felt like jelly. This whole adrenaline rushing through his veins the last hours already began to wear off.

Tugging out his phone, he saw a message from Simmons. They were at the cafeteria, looking after the suitcase.  
Indeed, the two of them were still there, even after these hours, the suit case standing beside the table.

As Wash entered the door, both of them shot up of their places, coming to meet him halfway. Before anyone of them could ask something, Wash told them with a smile which would make the joker envy. “Everything went well. Ala and Connie are safe and sound. Tired but okay.”  
“Connie?” Asked Grif, looking a bit bleary, as if just woken up. What could be the case, at least they were talking about Grif.  
“The baby you dork.” Informed his soon to be husband the Hawaiian before looking to Wash. “Can we go to her?”

The ex-Freelancer shook his head. “They’re both pretty tired and should rest now. Even I go home after bringing up the suit case. How about coming here tomorrow when they recovered a bit from the stress?”  
“Okay. We’ll go home then. Please tell her we congratulate her. And you too.” Agreed the cyborg then, Grif nodding along.  
“I will. Thank you guys for your help.”  
“Hey, that’s what friends are for right?”  
Wash laughed. “Right. See you tomorrow.”  
“See you.”

Wash took the suit case and brought it up to Alas room, where she already waited to slip into her well known clothes. After that, they both walked over to the room where the babies slept, diapering Connie and clothing her in one of her babygrowns Ala packed for her. After that, Ala dandled the small bundle until their daughter fell asleep.  
Just after that, they put her back in her crib, walking back to the room Ala would sleep in. She too was asleep before her head was laying on the pillow properly.

Wash kissed her goog-bye before leaving and also getting some sleep. He would return tomorrow to be with his wife and their daughter. Driving home he felt like being on cloud nine.


	15. Wedding at the beach

Six month after Ala successfully gave birth to a cute little baby girl, Simmons and Grifs big day finally came.  
As Grif suggested it, they were having their wedding at the beach. There were chairs put up in rows with a carped in the middle of it to prevent the sand sneaking into the shoes of the people. In front of the carpet and the chairs was a small altar, were the pastor would be standing. Beside the open-air chapel, there was a huge fire burning.

Later, during the afternoon, a pigling would be roasted over the fire, an old Hawaiian friend of Grif volunteered to roast it. Dex knew this guy was a master in roasting meat, so he didn’t object. The party itself would be in the house Ala and Wash had celebrated in. Dex only hoped they would only need the house to sleep in. He loved to be at the beach during summer. That’s why he decided to open up a surf and diving school together with Tucker.

Now, they had a third affiliate. Jack, the roasting-god. They decided to take him into business as he proved himself a reliable partner during his helpouts when one of the guys wasn’t around. Taking him into it (The school was yielding enough money for all of them), they wouldn’t need to organize a helper all the time Tucker or Dex were gone. There would be at least two guys around, being able to give more lessons.

Dex was standing by the altar, waiting for Simmons to come. He shortly wanted to do something. Hopefully he wouldn’t forget about the time when tinkering – What he did often enough.  
Slowly the guests began filing in. Tucker, Wash, Ala and Connie sat on the front row, because Wash and Tucker would be needed as each their grooms men.  
Ala sitting between Wash (Her husband) and Tucker (To elbow him from time to time), having a sleeping Connie, wrapped up in a towel to carry her on Alas chest.

Another shuffling announced new guests coming in. To his big surprise, there was Kai with his mom. Wait a second, didn’t she say she had to work and couldn’t come? She had to undergo a surgery on her knee some weeks ago, which was why Simmons and Kai helped her walk and take a seat on the uneven ground, before Simmons walked up to Dex.

“She just called me and said that she was allowed to take a day off and come over here. That’s why I left und such short notice.” Explained Simmons, standing there and intertwining his fingers with Dex’.  
Grif only nodded, smiling genuinely before leaning up and stealing the last kiss from his fiancé. The next would be from his husband.

As if on cue, the pastor appeared behind the altar, beginning with the ceremony. As the time came to exchange the rings, Kai came with a small, white pillow, where the rings were tied onto to not fall into the sand.  
Two simple golden rings sat on the pillow. Like a reminiscence of their relationship. As much shit happened during the years of service, their relationship mostly stayed the same. Simple and something both of them were able to gain new forces out of it.

Okay, there were stormy times too. It wouldn’t be a well working relationship if everything was lovey-dovey-love. But most of the time, they didn’t more than banter and bicker, keeping the loving tone up. Up until now, both of them mostly noticed that something was wrong and discussed it out together before the big bang came. Even Grif sometimes saw that he couldn’t slack off of such a discussion. That it was smpily necessary.

Gently, Simmons put the ring on Dex left ring finger, so did he with Rich’s right ringfinger. Afterwards, the pastor told them that they could kiss. They didn’t hesitate to do as asked. It wasn’t a passionate kiss. It wasn’t more than pressing two pairs of lips on each other. At least it looked like that. The feelings carried in this simple touch were almost overwhelming. Love, happiness, and every other positive feeling both of them felt just at the moment.

Their friends and family cheered and applauded, sitting there and waiting for the two to separate and taking the lead to walk out of the makeshift chapel. Connie had woken up to the cheering. Unlike other kids, she just looked around, beginning to babble and giggle. Washs daughter had a character Dex wished for his kids. Connie was such a content baby, hardly ever crying and most of the time laughing and babbling to ther mother or dad.

Together, they all shortly moved up to the house to change out of the formal clothes into something more comfy. Grif felt too hot in the long tuxedo anyway. No real wonder then he changed into some short trousers and an orange shirt. Even Simmons wore short pants and a shirt. A maroon. A reminiscence of their armor colors.

Ala wore a skirt and a blue blouse, Wash some long black pants and a grey shirt. Tucker a tank top and short swimming trousers. It was funny. As much as he was avoiding water because he couldn’t swim, the less was he seen out of it now that he was home and able to swim good. As Grif once asked him about this change of heart, Tucker simply answered that he was a lover. That counted for water too. Yeah, whatever.

The makeshift chapel was already stuffed away except of the chairs the people now could use to sit down if they didn’t want to sit on the sand. Like Simmons.  
Unlike him, Grif sat down on the sand enjoying the warmth coming form it, the sun shining on his skin, the sound of the ocean and the crackling sound of the fire.

He was leaning against Rich’s leg, a beer in his hand and his eyes closed, just enjoying the moment. Dex felt like just this particular moment was the best of his whole life. Just bein here, freshly married to his love, sitting at the beach, a fire burning and a bottle of beer in his hand while listening to the sound of the waves latching onto the shore.

 

* * *

 

After the ceremony and changing clothes, the cyborg sat down on a chair at the beach, soon feeling Grif sitting down in front of him and leaning back at his legs. Absentmindedly, Simmons began to weave through Grifs hair, playing with some of his hair. It had the same color like the sand here.

Shuffling beside him let him look up curiously. Dex’ mom had dragged over a chair, sitting down beside the couple.  
“Hey mom. Thanks for coming.” Greeted Dex her, noth bothering to get up or move out of his comfortable position.  
“Do you really think I would miss the wedding of my son?” although there was a fond smile on her lips, she seemed to be slightly offended.

Simmons husband laughed, taking a sip from the beer before answering. “No.” was the simple answer, followed by. “I just thought you couldn’t come because of your work.”  
“I told the chief that it’s my son who is marrying and nothing would hold me at work today. That I would come to your wedding even if I need to bang in. He then said he’d rather give me a day off.”  
Dex chuckled, again taking a sip from the beer. “Anyway. I’m happy you managed to come.”

“Your handsome husband made sure I come right in time. With the bus I still wouldn’t be here.” Remarked Dex mom, smiling over to Simmons. His cheeks warmed to this praise, the smile on his face widening.  
“It’s okay. I- uh- knew how much Dex wished you’d be at his wedding.” He had gotten better with his issue about talking to women. His voice wasn’t snapping anymore and he could mostly speak without stuttering. Not completely normal yet, but close.

“Right. Anyway, I leave you two lovebirds alone for now. But Dexter?”  
“Yeah mom?”  
“Watch out for your partner. He’s a good one.”  
“Thanks mom, I know. That’s why I married him.” Replied Grif with a fond smile up to Simmons, which got replied by him.

Simmons felt like the time stood still and raced at the same time. Before he even noticed, he and Dex were moving, playing games Grifs friends and Tucker organized, talking to all their friends and family, and all of a sudden the pigling was ready and dinner got prepared.  
Simmons stood there, slightly taken aback, blinking two times before following Dex.

Even though he only stopped shortly, the Hawaiian noticed. “Something the matter Rich?”  
“I just asked myself where the time got to. I didn’t even notice that so much time passed. I feel like just sat down at the fire after the wedding.”  
Grif grinned. “Good things often pass way too fast. But I rather prefer having a good but fast passing time instead of time going slow and annoying.”  
Rich couldn’t help but laugh at this Dex-typical explanation. “You’re righ. Come on. Let’s get something to eat. You look like starving in the next moment you fatass.”  
“Hey I am indeed starving in the next moment, nerd!” exclaimed Grif with faux offend. “I already begin to doubt if marrying you was such a good idea.”

Simmons grinned. He knew that he didn’t meant it mean. It was just their usual banter. “Well, it would be too late anyway lazyass.”  
“Right… I think I delayed the thinking about it a bit too much. He- Hey! Gimme that back you asshole!” Grif snatched after Simmons, who just stole the slice of meat from Grifs plate and walked away.  
“Come and catch me chubby.” Grif snorted to Simmons reply. While the cyborg walked over to the fire, he could feel Grif observing him how he joined the group sitting around the fire and eating.

Moments later Dex arrived too, plopping down in the sand and leaning back against Simmons legs like before. “Fetched another slice?”  
“Yep, that’s less work than chasing you asshole.”  
“Fatass!”  
“Nerd!  
“Lazy cockbite!”  
“I love you too.” Replied Grif around the piece of meat in his mouth, ending the banter effectively.

Simmons smiled, shortly tousling through Grifs hair. “Hey! I combed it today!”  
“So?” replied the cyborg with a smug smile. Dex only muttered something again before turning back to his food and ingnoring Simmons for the rest of the dinner.

Well, Richard had to admit, they had chosen a brilliant day for their wedding. There was a beautiful sunset and the night following was comfortable to sit outside around the fire without feeling cold. The were mostly sitting there and talking all the time, joking or playing some kind of small and harmless games, laughing and grinning all the time.

Connie was already in her small travel bed, sleeping soundly, while her parents sat outside. Ala had a babyphone closeby, but it didn’t seem as if the little girl would have any trouble sleeping soundly and most important, sleeping through the whole night.

As the morning came, they all decided to call it a night and go to bed to get some sleep before having breakfast. Dex and Rich kicked out the fire, throwing water and sand on it to kill it effectively before also heading to bed.

Their room was on the ground floor, with seaview. Great. Because Richard didn’t really feel like sleeping, he let Grif snuggle close (he was asleep in seconds) and wrapped his arms around him, while looking out of the window and watching the sun rise from the ocean. A new day began and Simmons didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt at ease. His dad wasn’t around but he somehow didn’t even care about that asshole.

He had made a cut between him and his dad soon after he walked away from the airport. His father didn’t accept him, and he now slowly began to see that he also didn’t need to accept him for what he did. At least he hit him for the way he was. He didn’t accept the character of his son, instead hitting him to make him to a small copy of himself. He even forced him to go to the military.

Okay, thinking back, that was most likely the best thing he did for his son. Because he met Dex there. The same person, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, closely snuggled up to his chest. Looking outside, Simmons saw that the sun now was fully risen, making her way over the sky to set on the other side.  
Closing his eyes Simmons decided to try to sleep a bit too.

At least he tried it. In the end, he didn’t do more than dozing, getting up around lunch. Although Donut and Ala didn’t let him help, instead made him sit in one of the deckchair outside on the veranda. He wasn’t supposed to help, he should enjoy the day after the wedding and shouldn’t work. Okay, whatever.

Thing was, he wasn’t sitting outside for long, when the taunting smell of freshly brewed coffee caught Simmons nose, beginning to draw him inside.  
Before he even could think of walking inside and get a cup, someone held one infront of his nose. Black, probably with two pieces of sugar in it.

“I thought you might want one.” Grif plopped down on the other deckchair beside Simmons.  
“Yeah, thank.” Taking a sip of the cup, he noticed that it indeed was sweet. The cyborg was a coffeeaddict. Everyone knew that. Even in Blood Gulch he couldn’t work without at least having had two cups of coffee.

Closing his eyes, Simmons enjoyed the sun and the day. Soon they would be leaving this house, everyone going home, while Grif and Simmons would fly to one of the smaller Hawaiian Islands.

It was a real small island. There was a small village (about ten families, a store and a bar) and their house amonst other small houses for holiday rental. Luckily, they were a bit away from the other houses, not noticing the life in the village there to be on their own. Just relaxing, enjoying their days on the beach, surfing maybe, reading, sleeping and being together for about two weeks before they would come back to Honolulu for work.

Neither Grif nor Simmons wanted to make a huge travel, or hurry form one city to one city. For once, Simmons agreed with Grif to use the two weeks just enjoying their time together and their bliss.

 

* * *

 

Some hours later, it was time. The Washingtons brought the two to a small island airport and seeing them off before going home again. Connie whined in the backseat, not really happy about something. Alaska said something about full diaper.

The small charter plane was already waiting for them to take off. The flight would take about two hours before they would arrive on the island in the evening. Enough time to shortly get the car they rented, buy something to eat and go to their house they rented.

Arriving there, they got the car, a black jeep, before driving over a path in the middle of the jungle to the village. Here were no tarred streets. Only pathes and ways carved out of the ground of the jungle. Without a jeep you wouldn’t be able to drive without getting stuck.

The store there really was small. But it had everything they needed. Hell, they even had Oreos, making Grif cheer and raiding the whole shelf, not leaving one single box of them. Simmons rolled his eyes.  
“What? I need Oreos to survive!”  
“Yeah sure.” Muttered the cyborg, putting two boxes of coffee into the cart. “You need your coffee too.” Added the Hawaiian as he saw Simmons doing so.  
“Whatever.” Replied Simmons, not really in the mood to banter about something. He still was on a high from the wedding.

After paying the food and beverages, they stuffed everything in the back of the car where the suitcases were. While Grif was sitting down in the driver seat, Simmons looked up the location of their house. GPS wouldn’t work here, so they had to rely on the good ole map.  
Routing Grif to their house, they arrived, just as the last sunrays faded away.

They were doing not much more than putting away the food, beverages and clothes, before changing into sleeping clothes and crashing out closely huddled up to each other.


	16. Kids!

On a Saturday, weeks after their wedding, the Grifs invited everyone to a little barbeque. The summer was almost over and they decided to, at least, have a little reunion before summer was over definitely. Connie’s birthday would be soon too, so they both needed an idea what to offer the little girl.

She was already beginning to talk, although the words were limited to ‘Mommy’, ‘Daddy’, ‘Yes’, ‘No’ and ‘Ina’ (for Carolina). The teal ex-Freelancer visited the little girl as often as she could, playing and talking with her. She grew quiet attached of the baby girl, locked her immediately in her heart.

The Washingtons were happy that they had such a strong bond, because Carolina might be babysitting her from time to time now, as Ala again was pregnant. It was at the beginning and they always said they wanted more than one kid. It wasn’t surprising that they went for real again.

Simmons was looking after the barbeque, whilst Grif checked the beverages. He would stick with coke and other sweet stuff. No booze.  
Luckily, Cory (Their friend and afilliate) told them that he would be fine today looking after the school on his own. So Tucker would be able to come to the barbeque. If his ex wasn’t going to give birth to his kid today.

A tugging at his pants made Grif look down. There was Connie, trying to pull herself up at Grifs pants on wobbly legs. As she managed it, she held up both hands towards Grif. “Up!”  
Leaning down Dex took the little girl up. She had greyish blue eyes, black hair and nice features. The Hawaiian was sure she would be a beauty later when she would grow up.  
“Hey you learnt a new word!” cheered he, behaving mischievously together with her, before she decided that she want to go back to mommy. Letting her down, Grif observed her crawling over to her mom and again demanding to be taken up.

They all knew that Connie had a fucking thick head. When she made up her mind and wanted something, she could get unbearable until she got what she wanted. Although she mostly was loosing this fight as Ala had the thicker head. She even once forbade Wash to give Connie something. Because it would be contraproductive if Ala said no and Wash yes.

The first people came over from the grill, getting some salad and chips, before settling down at one of the tables. Connie got some cooked carrots and a bit of the chicken filet, Ala had. She was happily messing around with the food, eating only what she liked, starting a one-sided shouting match when she didn’t got more food because Alaska insisted she should first empty her dish before getting new carrots.

Eventually, the little girl ate all of the stuff, or threw it on the ground, making the black haired woman give her new food. That little girl knew exactly how to fuzz with the parents.

Sitting down at the table where Tucker was sitting, they soon got into a little argument about the threat of sharks here at the beach. Because one of the pro-surfers got attacked by a shark. He lost his leg.  
Taking a sip from his coke bottle, he earned a strange glance from Tucker.  
“Dude, since when are you so teetotal?”  
Grif only shrugged, emptying the bottle and indicating clearly that he didn’t want to talk about it.

Well, Tucker woldn’t be Tucker if he wouldn’t continue asking. “Dude seriously, you’re all strange.”  
Grif lift an eyebrow, chewing on a piece of his steak. “Yeah, believe me!” Tucker nodded to emphasize his statement. “You’re not drinking anymore, smoking anymore; you don’t even take a beer after work with me anymore.”  
“I quit smoking already on Chorus you dumbass.”  
“Yeah I know, it’s just the symbolic. You quit on everything unhealthy all of a sudden.”  
“At least on smoking and drinking, yes.”  
“Why?”

“Y’know what? How about shutting your trap and waiting some more minutes.”  
“But wh-“ Tuckers jaw snapped shut with an audible click before he suddenly began to grin and chuckle. “Okay, I think I get what’s going on.” With that, he shut up and ate his food.

As the dessert was served, the people got their part and now were just sitting there, enjoying the time and talking together, Grif stood up and walked over to the table the dessert was on, clearing his throat.  
Simmons was somehow reluctant about getting up, but Grif dragged him along. Simmons already had a flaming fucking red face.

“We… didn’t only organize the barbeque for a little reunion, but also to tell you guys something.” Began Grif shortly, Simmons shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Their friends were still. “I’m sorry Ala, but I think you’ll get competition about this kids thing.” He didn’t say more, only observing the guys, until Alaska began laughing. “Well then, congratulation. It’s good that you finally managed it.”

Immediately, all the others began cheering, congratulating and wishing only the best for the Grif’s. He just was standing there, leaning close to his husband and one hand on his belly.  
It was strange. You always think it’s weird that pregnant people always lay a hand on their belly. Not that he was pregnant; Grif caught himself more than not laying a hand on his belly. It was hilarious.

“So you guys were hardworking, huh? Bow chicka bow OW! Why do you throw a glass bottle at my head?!”  
Grif again shrugged nonchalantly, replying. “I had nothing else at hand to make you shut up.”

Some of the guys around there were snickering, like Grif and Simmons. Although Grif was giving Tucker the best shit-eating grin, he could muster. He earned a scowl, accompanied by a grin, in return.

After this little episode, Grif again sat down at the table together with Simmons, discussing about Grifs pregnancy with the guys and girls. Most of them were curious how this worked and hot it felt (mostly the guys asked that).  
The part with the functioning of the male-pregnancy was something Simmons could tell. Because he knew it. Grif wasn’t really listening. As long as it was working, everything would be fine.

However, the feeling part was something Grif could describe. He was at least bearing them. To be honest, it felt odd. First indicatior that you were pregnant was throwing up all morning, sometimes the whole day or at least feeling nauseatic. Bah!  
Second was that you began to notice changes at your body, maybe getting mood changes or eating attacks.

Third was, when the pregnancy was advanced enough, you began to feel the movements of the little fellow. Like Grif was doing just now. It was faint, like a breeze would blow over your skin, touching it lightly. But the feeling was there and it was something incredible. It made you somehow happy because the movement meant that everything was okay with the baby.

 

* * *

 

After the barbeque and cleaning up, Grif was laying on the couch together with Simmons. They didn’t feel like having dinner because they still had enough from barbeque.  
On their huge, oval shaped couch, Simmons was leaning against the pillows there, Grif leaning with this back against his chest and watched TV.

He could feel Simmons gently stroking over his belly. The belly was already clearly visible; although Grif only was at the end of the fourth month (They had waited a month longer to be really sure because it still was an unusual pregnancy). Well, considering the reason why his belly was unusually big for only being in the fifth month soon made Simmons smile. They were going to have twins.

The doc couldn’t determine the sex of one of the babies, but the other was clearly male. The doc supposed the second baby would be a boy too. Twin pregnancies where one was a girl and the other a boy were rather unusual. Even more when it came down to male-pregnancies.

Alghouth twin-pregnancies were more likely in this case, compared to normal. Because they use to implant more than one ovum to make sure, it would work out somewhen. Well, Simmons happened to be higly potent, as there would be two kids instead of one.

As they went to the doc yesterday, Grif thought he would drop dead as the doc said they were expecting twins. Looking over to Simmons, the cyborg looked even more like falling off the chair he was sitting on and just dropping dead.

Luckily, neither of them did and by the time passed and they finally understood the meaning of what the doc said, they couldn’t even less wait until the kid, no kids, would be born.  
There still were five month to go, but they still couldn’t wait for it. Grif laid his head back on Simmons shoulder, closing his eyes with a content sigh. He felt Simmons gently stroking the baby bump while watching television.

Since it was sure that Grif was pregnant, they often laid like that on the couch and watched movies together. Grif would be lying if he would say that he hated it. Although he would throw a glass bottle after everyone saying that aloud.

He was just about to drift off, when he felt Simmons hands stop their stroking. He made a grunting sound, asking himself why he stopped. He knew, Rich would understans what he wanted to say. And indeed. “I just thought I felt something.”  
“Can be, both of them are active now.” Mumbled Grif a bit bleary in return. Due to the twin-pregnancy, Grif felt the little fellows already for more than a week moving. Although the movements were mostly accidental and not willingly like later during pregnancy. Just at the moment, they were active at least. He could feel them move around slightly, maybe one of them making a jerking movement because of the muscles beginning to build up, making Simmons feel it.

“I’m sure, I felt it again. They’re moving!” Grif hear the excitement out of Simmons voice, his hands again beginning to gently stroke the belly, but attentive to any more movement of his kids the same time.  
“You’re such a dork, you know that?”  
“And you’re a lazyass!”  
“Nerd.”  
“Chubby!”  
“Hey, I’m bearing your kids at least! Show a little respect!” pouted Grif, sitting up and crossing his arms.

Simmons chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t meant to insult you.” Grif and Simmons knew that Grif was suffering of changes of mood. Sometimes from absolutely happy to completely depressed in one second. However, Dex was denying it stubbornly. And Simmons luckily wasn’t insisting on it, just taking his moods and trying to even them out.  
“Hmph!”

“Come on Dex, stop pouting.” Hands sneaked around his waist, and he could feel lips against his neck. Batting the hands away, Dex again crossed his arms. He was somehow angry because Simmons called him chubby. Normally he wouldn’t react so pissed, but this here was something different to him. That hurt.  
“I’m sorry, okay?” again a kiss on his neck. Fuck Simmons for fucking knowing his soft spots.

Grumbling Grif agreed, before adding. “Okay, but you gonna bring me Oreos and peanut butter as excuse. I’m hungry.”  
Simmons chuckled and stood up, strolling to the kitchen to get the ordered stuff. As Simmons came back, Grif was still sitting on the couch, noth bothering laying down.

After putting down the stuff, Simmons even brought a bottle of coke with, he again laid down behind Dex, observing him.  
The Hawaiian was about to put a generous amount of peanut butter on each Oreo, before trying to lay down.  
“Ah-ah. You know what I told you Grif. No spilling on the couch.”  
“But I won’t spill!” insisted Grif, looking angrily over his shoulder to his husband. He could see the adamant expression on his face and he knew he wouldn’t be able to change his mind.  
“Fiiiiiine.” Groaned Grif, eating his Oreos at the coffee table and lean back as he ate the last one of them.

Or at least he wanted to lay down. Simmons again held him up. “Wash your fingers.”  
“What? Why? They’re clean!”  
“You licked them clean, but they’re still sticky. Wash your fingers.”  
“Fiiiine.” Again a groan while Grif got up and waddled to the kitchen to clean his hands.  
“And hang up the hankie where it belongs to!”  
“Fiiiiiine.” Gosh, since when was Simmons not only physically but also metaphorically so up his ass!?

As he came back, Simmons looked at him somewhat angrily.  
“What?”  
“You could have taken the empty dish to the kitchen too and put it in the washing machine.”  
“Fiiiine.”  
“Don’t fiiiiiine me.”  
“Fiiiine.”

This time Simmons groaned annoyed, Grif bringing the plate back to the kitchen and putting it in the washing machine with a grin. Sometimes it was so easy to piss Simmons off. Okay, not only sometimes. Most of the time it was fucking easy.

As he then came back, he was finally allowed to lay back down again, snuggling closely to his husband. Arms again encircling his waist and coming to rest on his belly. A kiss pressed against his temple again made Dex sigh because he felt so damn comfy.

“Hey, you already have an idea how the kids should call us? Because I won’t allow them to call me mom.” Asked Grif all of a sudding, cringing as he thought about the boys calling him ‘mom’ in the middle of a huge shopping mall. Creepy…  
“Hm… I don’t know. They can’t call us both dad. How about daddy and dad?”  
“I’m going to be dad. But daddy and dad? You’re prosaic.”  
Rich huffed, shortly stopping the stroking, before taking it up while saying. “What about Pap or Papa then?”  
“Huh? What’s that?”  
“That’s dutch for dad.”

There was a short silence in which Grif contemplated the idea of Dad and Pap. “Okay, I’m dad and you’re pap. Sounds cool.” A grin appeared on Grifs face, before he leant up and stole a kiss from Simmons. After this was done, he settled back down, his head lulling on Simmons chest while his hands gently stroked over the belly. Some kind of action movie was playing in the TV but Dex didn’t care. He fell asleep some minutes after, feeling safe and comfy the way they were just now.


	17. Heartbeat

Ala just came home from making the weekly shopping for the family. Connie was following her, now walking on her own and insisting on doing so as much as she could. Putting down the bags on the counter, she saw Connie get her toys and settle in the living room to play with them. She was happy to have such a content and well-bred child. Although she sometimes needed to be hard with her and Wash.

Wash liked to undergo her authority in allowing what she forbade. But they eventually discussed everthing out and they both were on the same page with the education of their kids. He now was too one to say more often no and if he wasn’t sure, he used to discuss it with Ala first.

However, Connie was playing and Ala would have time to prepare dinner and wait for Wash. Which came home already. Was she that late?  
“Hey.” Greeted the Freelancer the black haired woman with a kiss. She was just done with putting away the stuff.  
“Hey. You’re early today.”  
“Oh I though I come home a bit earlier to play a bit with Connie.”

Ala smiled. “Suit yourself. She’s in the living room.”  
“Okay. Call us if you need help.”  
“Sure.”

Wash toddled over to his daughter. Ala soon hear the jolly squeal of Connie when her dad made a dork out of himself. Like normal. Wash made a dork out of himself and Connie was laughing and squealing of mere joy. Alaska often used to watch these two, playing and having fun together, keeping out of this father-daughter-thing. She would have enough time to play with her during the day. When Wash was working.

Preparing the dinner, she listened to the jolly sounds coming from the living room until she called them to come and have dinner. Ala liked these moments. Wash often used to come home earlier when his work was done; playing with Connie and later with the soon to be born kid (Ala was sure it was a boy). While Connie could have some quality time with her father, Alaska could cook or do other stuff and didn’t need to watch out for the kid every time.

After lunch, it was soon time for Connie to go to bed. Sure thing she would say ‘No’ and trying to backtalk, but Alaska was adamant about the sleeping time. And as usual, it didn’t take five minutes for Connie to fall asleep. Not wanting to go to bed, but crashing out immediately after laying down, it was daily routine by now.

Coming back down to the living room, Ala could see Wash having prepared two glasses of red whine, waiting for her to sit down. Sometimes they would watch TV, sometimes just talk. It was different. Sitting down with a low sigh, she used the opportunity to stretch out her sore legs.  
“The usual?” asked Wash, taking the glass of whine and holding int out for Ala to toast.  
“Yep, the usual. Backtalking and beefing but when laying in bed crashing out immediately. I would love to have this ability.”

“You can backtalk enough without having Connie’s ability.”  
“I’m talking about the crashing out not the beefing.” Replied Ala with a dark stare, but not really being intimidated. Some days she would be, today she somehow wasn’t affected by it.  
“Oh, you mean the crashing out? That’s also something Connie has from you. You too sleep pretty fast.”  
“Uh-hu, whether decend nor the whole night. I often wake up. That’s something I’m envy of Connie. Being able to sleep through a whole night.”

“That will come again. When the kids are out of the critical ages and you have some quiet again. Just wait.”  
“I hope so.” Agreed Ala simply, taking a sip of her glass. Wash beside her stretched his sore limbs.  
“I go to bed anyway. Tomorrow would be a-“ before he could finish, the doorbell rang. Instead of short it was like someone was trying to press it through the wall.  
“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming, jeez.” Replied Wash, but the ringing kept on. Ala stayed on the couch.

Until she heard the heartbreaking crying of a baby. Getting up she followed the sound to the door. There was Tucker. “-I tell you! She left without a note! Since then he’s crying all he time.”  
“What’s up?”  
“Tucker sais that the baby is crying because his mom left him. She signed all rights over to Tucker, and disappeared after giving birth to… How’s his name?”  
“Duncan.”  
Both of them looked at each other shortly. Duncan Tucker. Okay, they didn’t suspect Tucker to be so crafty. “Hey she gave him that name! I call him Junior.” Of course Tucker wouldn’t be so crafty.

“Come in.” said Wash, letting Tucker in. He was carrying the crying bundle in his arms, a backpack on his back. Ala lead him over to the couch, taking Duncan so Tucker could slip out of his backpack, west and shoes, before she made him sit down on the couch and give him his son. Was sat down on the opposite of them.

“Did you check if he needs to be diapered?”  
“Already did that. And he doesn’t want to sleep!” Tucker sounded almost like freaking out.  
“Wait, you had a kid, why don’t you know how to raise one?” asked Wash from the other side of the couch.  
“Junior was an Alien! He was independent five minutes after his birth! He didn’t need diapers and stuff!”  
“I see.”

Tucker again dandled the crying bundle, he didn’t want to stop. Sitting down beside Tucker, Ala lift a finger and tapped slightly against Duncans bottom lip. Immediately the crying stopped and he opened his mouth. “He’s hungry.” Stated Ala simply, going to the kitchen and preparing milk for the baby. Coming back, Duncan was again crying, while Tucker looked amazed. “How did you know that?”  
“I’m a mom too. That’s something you learn with the time. Here, you feel the warmth. That’s the ideal warmth for baby food in his age.” Explained Ala, holding the bottle against Tuckers cheek.

He nodded, taking the bottle from Ala and listening closely as she explained him how to hold the baby and the bottle to feed him. And to make him burp afterwards.

Half an hour later, Tucker was again sitting on the couch, freshly showered and dandling his son. He still was unsettled and whiny, squirming around in Tuckers arms. “He still won’t settle down.” Tucker really sounded like breaking down the next moment. Ala also was thinking hard why Duncan didn’t want to sleep. He had eaten, he had fresh diapers, the only thing that left was sleeping. Which he didn’t do. He seemed nervous, unsettled.

Hmm… Wait a moment, right. Maybe Tuckers heartbeat would calm him down. It wasn’t his mother’s but he would have to get used to that heartbeat because his mom won’t be around anymore.  
“Tucker take Duncan up.”  
“What?”  
“Look, here.” Gently she helped Tucker moving his son up to his chest, making him lay on it, head pressed against the chest to hear the heartbeat. He still wasn’t settling down.

Tucker again looked up, a look of helpessness in his eyes. A quiet plea to help him. He looked so lost with the baby, not knowing what to do and how to react. It was normal for someone just gotten father for the first time to not know how to handle the little bundle. Wash had been the same. They just needed time to get more confident with everything.

“He won’t calm down just now. But the heartbeat helps. Thing is, he only knows the one of his mom, but she isn’t here. So he has to learn that your heartbeat is a calming influence too. So try to calm down a bit. The more regular your heart beats, the more is Duncan able to fall asleep.” Explained Ala, Tucker nodding only to her explains.

“I would suppose you’d stay here some days, until you know how to handle yourself and a baby.” Wash looked to Ala, who nodded silently, then to Tucker.  
“I don’t even know if I ever will be able to handle a baby.” Whined Tucker.  
“Calm down, everything will come eventually. Just give yourself and Duncan time to acclimate to each other. He only knows his mom so far.”

Wash stood up from the couch. “I’m preparing the travel crib in the guest room Tucker, you can crash there for the time you stay here.”  
“Thanks man.”

 

* * *

 

Some days later, Tucker was sitting on the couch Duncan in his arms and sleeping. During the last days, Duncan had learnt to recognize Tuckers heartbeat as a calming influence. If he was restless, Tucker only needed to lay him on his chest and his son would calm down.

Like now. Looking at the small baby sleeping soundly on his dads chest made Ala smile. Tucker had won a lot of confidence, being able to manage the needs of Duncan by himself by now. He even began to difference the cries and recognize what each meant.  
The son of Tucker had the same skin color as his dad, dark brown hair curling on Duncans head. Tucker once said that he would have curly hair too if he would cut his dreads and let them grow.

Babbling something in his sleep, Duncan turned his head, as if he felt that he was under observation and just wanted his quiet. Tucker gently brushed over his head with his thumb. “He seems to be cool now.”  
“I told you so.” Explained Ala with a small smile. “He will learn to identify your heartbeat as calming and exactly that happened.” Explained the black haired with a smile.  
The doorbell rang shortly, Wash answering the door. The Grifs came over to visit Tucker. The last days he had been too stressed out to sit there calmly and talk with his friends.

Grif waddled in, sporting a massive baby belly. They all knew that they were expecting twins.  
“Hey asshole, how’s hanging.”  
“Shh Grif, don’t you see that the baby is sleeping?” Shushed Simmons his husband, sitting down on the couch beside him.  
“Yeah asshole, he was sleeping.” Growled Tucker, dangling Duncan who just woke up and whined slightly.

“Yeah sorry, I didn’t meant to.”  
“He better fall asleep again. I just managed him to do so.” Grumbled Tucker, ignoring his friends until his son was fast asleep again. Only after this, he lift his gaze and met Grifs blue eyes.  
“So, how are you doing?” asked Grif again, this time not too loud.  
“Fine.” Sighed Tucker, switching arms. Even though Duncan was a flight weight, he got heavy with the time.

“You look tired.” This statement came from Simmons.  
“Tell me.” Snorted Tucker. “I slept about six hours during the last five days.”  
“You look like shit.” Grif grinned.  
“You know what? Shut the fuck up. First get along with your kids before making such smartass-comments.” Snapped Tucker. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to crash for some hours. Again a sigh. “Wait a moment.”

Tucker shortly disappeared, coming back five minutes later, without Duncan. Maybe he put him in the crib that he could sleep. The babyphone was attached to his belt.  
“Sorry I- I’m just tired.” Excused Tucker his outburst. He rubbed over his face, the dark shadows under his eyes clearly visible.  
“’S okay. Nevermind.” Since Grif was pregnant, there were nights he didn’t sleep well. He told Alaska about that when he asked her vor advice. It this or that reaction was normal during the pregnancy or if he had to worry about something.

Most of the time she only had one answer for him: Everything’s fine, don’t worry, you and your kids are and will be fine.  
They used to talk about different stuff afterwards. Because of his pregnancy, the doc forced him to stop with heavy work. Although he often used to hang around at the school, he more and more took over the administrative work. Sitting around and watching Tucker and Cory go surfing surely was depressing.

After done with the work, Dex often used to come over to Ala, accompanying her a bit and talk about their past or the future Grif would await. He had tons of questions and Ala gladly answered them to him. She often would have been happy to have someone to talk to like Grif had with her. Knowing so much about the pregnancy and the birth process, he seemed more at ease by now. A lot more.

While Simmons got more and more nervous because the pregnancy slowly would come to it’s inevitable end.  
At least he was already in the seventh month. And Alaska remembered telling Grif once that the baby could come about too weeks to early without having any health issues. Connie had been and was perfectly fine.

Talking of her, the babyphone just began crackling, Connie’s voice demanding for her. Her afternoon nap was over and she wanted to be taken down where the party was. Even more as Wash had a day off today. Said person just sat up, signing his wife to stay seated. “I’ll go get her.”  
Ala nodded, letting Wash get her. He often used to do that when he was home. He appreciated to do that, because he wouldn’t have time for that when working.

The friends were talking almost the whole afternoon, Duncan sleeping soundly while Connie was playing with her dad or Uncle Tucker, Grif or Simmons.  
When Grif and Simmons went home in the evening, Alaska decided to make dinner for them.

After dinner they put Connie into bed, Duncan waking up instead, hungry and with full diapers. After Tucker fed and diapered him, Ala decided to take over the watch for the baby. Tucker should sleep and gain new strength, as he would go home somewhen in the next days and trying to live together only with him.

He gained enough money with the school to rent an apparment close to his other friends. Ala and Wash already told him that he could come over to them when he needed help. But they both didn’t want him to permanently depending on Ala and Wash when it came to Duncan. He was his father, he had the fun conceiving him and now he should raise him on his own. Ala and Wash had their own brood to raise, soon having another fellow. She was at the end of the sixth month now.

Tucker accepted the offer gladly, crashing out in the guest room and not waking up until next afternoon. He looked better and even told Wash that he was feeling much better than some hours ago. Duncan was mostly sleeping. Which was completely normal for a newborn.

This evening, Wash and Ala brought Tucker and Duncan back to their home, shortly helping Tucker buy everything he needed for a baby and setting up everything. Tucker had already prepared most of the stuff, but there were some small details Ala knew would hinder Tucker. That was knowledge she got from being a mother. Like keeping the babygrows, diapers and other stuff he needed for diapering Duncan close to the baby change unit. Otherwise the baby could fall off of the table when Tucker was searching for a babygrow.

After that, they went home. Connie was fast asleep in the babyseat in the back of the car, Ala yawning on the passenger seat while Wash was driving.

“You think he can manage that?” asked Wash all of a sudden, looking slightly worried.  
“He’s smart and crafty. He’ll handle that. He did pretty well during the days he stayed with us.”  
Wash only looked at her shortly, before pulling up to the driveway of their house.

About half an hour later, the family Washington was fast asleep in their beds..


	18. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second last chapter. Let's see what happenes. :)

Donut had invited them over to celebrate something only he knew. Well, at least there was free food though he as he entered the house, greeted donut and sat down on the couch. This was his spot to sit when Donut made a bash. In respect of the kids, the lightish red armored soldier decided to make the bash in the afternoon, that the kids would be in bed soon enough.

Grif didn’t eat lunch and breakfast. He felt nauseated and there was a strange hauling feeling in his stomach, making his appetite go to waste. Great. A party and you couldn’t drink booze or eat something. Or at least not as much. In the end Grif couldn’t hold back and toddled over to the table where the snack were, taking a bunch of them. Hey, he had at least to eat for three people!

Just as he wanted to sit down again, a pang of pain made him stand up again. One of the kids probably kicked him. “Okay, no sitting down then.” Muttered Grif, walking over to one of the bar tables Donut had set up, joining Tucker standing there with Duncan in a baby sling.

“Hey, how are you doing?”  
“Pretty fine. Junior now sleeps through the nights and seems to accept me finally. He also doesn’t throw up that much anymore.”  
“Sounds good. And how are you, Tucker?” Grif emphasized the name to make clear that he wante to know how Tucker was doing. Tucker grew so fond of Duncan that he couldn’t stop talking about him. Even at work. Because of this never ending rambling about Duncan, Tucker never said how he was feeling.

Luckily Tucker could still come to work, Ala taking over the babysitting of Tuckers kid and soon also of Grifs. Although he said he would help her because the birth dates of her and him were so close to each other. She would have enough to do with Duncan, Connie and their baby. He would go over to Washingtons and help Ala with the hoard of kids.

Tucker blinked somewhat taken aback, but then grinned a shit eating grin. “Oh a bit lack of sleep, you know. But you’ll face that soon enough.”  
Grif groaned. No napping would be the most horror for him.  
“Yeah you tell me.” Muttered Grif, breathing clipped, again feeling a pang of pain. Really, couldn’t the boys stop kicking inside there!?

Tucker looked at him somewhat worried. “Dude, you okay?”  
“Yeah, the kids are just being all kicky today.”  
“You sure?” Tucker walked over to Grif, laying a hand on his shoulder. Again, a pang of pain made him lean over a bit, breath clipped. Tucker answered his question himself. “Obviously not. Come on. Gimme your hands.”  
“Those are no throes! The babies are just kicking.” Insisted the Hawaiian.

Tucker just looked at him with outstretched hands, Grif giving in and laying his in Tuckers. He immediately pulled them up to his neck, Grif knowing what he wanted to do. They learnt this technique during the birth preparation courses.

Carefully crouching down, he pulled at Tucker when he again felt a pang of pain. Luckily, they were a bit hidden from the rest, so nobody was seeing what happened right now. Otherwhise he would make a complete fool out of himself right now.  
“Dude, that’s not the baby kicking. Those are throes.” Stated Tucker, looking down at Grif, holding Grifs wrists. “Kayla was pulling the same way like you when it began.”  
Grif looked up, a pained and somewhat anxious expression on his face. He knew that he looked anxious.

He felt goddamn afraid. He knew a lot about the birth process, at least he asked Ala everything about it to know as much as possible. Now being in the situation was something completely different. Sure, the docs would have to make an abdominal cut to get the kids. Men didn’t have the muscles to give birth to a kid.

The doc already told him that there would be no other option than that. Right after the birth process, the docs would numb him completely, removing artificial uterus and stuff, because he didn’t need them anymore. With the cut it was useless anyway, but the Grifs decided to stop after one pregnancy. That there would be twins born was something unexpected.

“Get up Grif.” Tucker pulled him up to his feet, before leading him out of the room. Simmons just came from the toilet and hurried to them as he saw Grifs pained expression.  
“What’s up!?” his voice was almost snapping. Tucker beside him told him shortly that they had to go to the hospital, the throes were kicking in.

While Tucker brought Grif to the car and laid Duncan in the baby seat in the back, Simmons got the coat for him, Tucker and Simmons.  
They didn’t say good-bye or explained the situation. Because there was simply no time to. “Dude I tell you. If your water breaks in here I kill you.”  
“Shut the fuck… up!” groaned Grif, just as Tucker pulled up to the emergency entry, letting Grif and Simmons exit the car.

Instead of following inside, he asked something of Simmons, who gave him the key to their house and shortly explained something before following Grif. The last thing Grif saw of Tucker was how he emerged into the traffic.

They arrived at the delivery room, Grif getting immediately connected to a machine to catch up the heartbeats of the babies. Just in case, something was up. There was a second computer. The nurse explained him, that hey measured the intensity and the interval the throes came. As she explained, the throes were whether intense nor regular enough to already start with the surgery. But they would prepare everything and be ready when the initial birth process would start.

Although the throes weren’t at the top of their intensity and not coming in short distances, Grif felt horribly. That was worse than having a revolting stomach of a food intoxication! Groaning, he again felt a throe, pushing although he new it would be of no avail, but it was relieving to just to that. Sweat began to form on his forehead.

The minutes passed by, every five of them a nurse came to check on them. She said it was on the way to it, but it would take another hour at least to fully develop.  
Thank god Rich was by his side, holding his hand he squeezed tightly with every throe, wiping away the sweat on Grifs face with a towel he demanded of the nurse.

“Fucking shit. Why… Nnngh! Did I even agree to this goddamn bullshit!?” cursed the Hawaiian loudly, another throe coming up. The hour was almost over, the throes now coming in distances of less than a second, with full of their power.  
“You’re doing well. Don’t stop.”  
“Oh shut… the fuck up! You’re not in my situation!”

Just as Simmons wanted to retort something, the doors openened and doctors, nurses and some midwifes appeared. “Mister Grif, we’re starting now. But for the local anastethicum you need to sit up. Do you think you’ll manage that?”  
“I think so.”

As one of the throes was over, Simmons helped his husband sit up, helping him staying in this position and not flop back on the bed.  
Just as another throe was making Grif groan, the nurse gave the injection with the anastethicum directly into the medulla to make it work fast. After that, they laid Grif back down on the bed, waiting for the medication to show it’s effect.

“Mister Grif, do you feel that?” Simmons could see the doc poking with something, probably sharp or pointy, in Grifs belly. He shook his head. “No.”  
“Okay, then let’s begin.” Ordered the doc, immediately there was an air of professionality coming up. One of the nurses even prepared Grif for the surgery, as well as Simmons had to wear protection to not endanger Grif and the babies in one of their most dangerous times of their live.

It was strange, to tell it sugarcoated. Throes were making him groan in pain and curse, whilst everything down from his chest was numb. He knew the docs were cutting open his abdomen, but he couldn’t see it because they hung up a cloth to hide the bloody work they were doing.  
And the feeling of hands in his stomach was even stranger. It made Grif shudder and contort his face. “Fucking strange to feel people rummage around inside you.” Muttered Grif, trying to catch his breath before the next throe came.

Simmons beside him smiled. “Now you know how I felt when Sarge turned me into a cyborg. It was awake most of the time.”  
“Ugh, shit.”  
Grif felt Simmons wiping away the sweat again. The throes died down after the abdomen got numbed. What a blisfull feeling, not having these fucking throes again.

Really, how could Ala go through this the second time? Only one time was horrible! Hell, he wouldn’t even say yes to a second torture like that when Simmons would be begging on his knees for it.

A faint cry, like an exclamation that someone disturbed the peace, resounded through the room. “Here we have a boy. Safe and sound.” Immediately, one of the midwifes went to the medical check-ups with the crying baby, before the doc again turned around and concentrated on the second baby. It took about a minute until he had it.  
“And here’s a little baby-girl.” She made herself very clear that she was safe and, most of all, sound.

Grif was still laying there, trying to catch his breath, but something caught his attention. “Wait a second; didn’t you say it’s a boy?”  
“I supposed it to be because a twin pregnancy with each a boy and a girl are rather rare in male-pregnancies. As I couldn’t define the sex I made a suggestion.”

The Hawaiian sank down on the bed with a heavy sigh. Just in time as the nurse came back with the boy. Some minutes later the girl went through all the check-ups and was bathed and wrapped up in a towel, just like the baby.  
They laid them on Grifs chest, so they could listen to the calming hearbeat they heard during the last months.

“What are we gonna do now? We have two boys name and no girls name.” Simmons was smiling. Grif could see the happiness and the love written all over his face as he observed the kids and Grif.  
“We give both names to the boy. His name will be Geoff Gustavo. And the girl… Hmm… How about Emily?”  
“You mean Emily like Dr. Grey Emily?”  
“Exactly. She may be hardcore crazy, but she has a good heart and did a lot for us.”

Simmons smiled again. “Right, then her name will be Emily.” Carefully he reached out and touched the cheek of his daughter. She had red hair just like Simmons, whilst the boys hair was going more towards the sandy blonde Grif had. A girl with red hair as Simmons surely would become a beautiful woman.  
And a dangerous maybe. The only chicks with red hair Grif knew were hardcore crazy badass chicks.

“Mr. Richard Grif.” This was directed towards Rich. He lift his head questioningly. “We decided to make the surgery to remove the artificial uterus now. I must ask you to leave the room. You can accompany my two collegues here bringing your kids to the baby station.”

Simmons nodded, standing up and following the nurses taking the babies outside. That was the last thing Grif noticed before he got knocked out completely.

 

* * *

 

 

After two weeks, Grif and the babies were cleared to leave the hospital. Simmons had been working during these days, otherwhise he would go crazy at home. Luckily his chief was rather accommodating. He told him to take the two weeks of holidays when Grif would be at home. He just should tell as early as possible when his husband would be able to leave the hospital with the kids.

Today was the day. Entering the hospital, he went directly to the room Grif was in. Entering it, he could see Grif just putting on a baby sling with the girl sleeping soundly in it. Geoff was still in his crib, babbling and laughing at nothing in particular, while Grif put the rest of the stuff in his suitcase.

“Hey there. How are you doing?” Greeted Simmons his husband with a kiss. Grif replied it with a small sigh, gently patting the back of the sleeping Emily. “They’re doing fine. Sleeping a lot and eating the other part of the time.”  
“And you?”  
“I’m still a bit sore but fine.”  
“Glad to hear that.” Answered Simmons, placing another kiss on Grifs lip, before walking over to Geoffs crib.

Simmons already had held the babies, so he felt relatively secure that he would be able to carry his son. He too brough another baby sling with him. Geoff squirmed slightly, beginning to whine a bit while Grif showed him how Simmons could put on the sling and Geoff in it. It didn’t take long for the baby to fall asleep.

Taking the suit case for Grif, he led him out of the patient’s room, down the hall and to the reception, where they Grif would sign his dismission. After that, they left the hospital, walking over to the car.

The sky was dark and a glowering sound far away announced a storm coming up. Hopefully no hurricane.  
Grif beside Simmons was breathing in deeply. “Haaa, finally again clear air and not this sterile shit of hospital air. I felt like suffocating.”  
Simmons smiled, while he put Geoff in the baby seat behind the driver. Emily would be in the one behind Grif.

“Lucky me you didn’t suffocate for real. Otherwhise they…” Simmons pointed towards Geoff and Emily. “…And I would be alone.”  
Grif cringed, a grin stil tugging at his lips. “Whatever. But I wouldn’t let you guys alone. No money on the world could make me.”  
“Good to hear.” Simmons closed the door carefully before he walked around the car to Grif. As he reached the Hawaiian, he laid an arm around his waist, pulling him close and kissing him.  
He had missed those touches. You only know how much you miss something when loosing it. Or something like that at least.

As the first raindrops began to fall, both of them immediately hurried inside the car, just in time before heaven decided to open his flood gates. Luckily the storm wasn’t above them directly, so Simmons could drive home without bigger issues.

Once they arrived there, Grif moved the two cribs to their sleeping room for the first night, just to hear them. As of his narratives, they weren’t really loud when crying, so you wouldn’t hear them. And he was used to having them close. Even more, now a storm as coming, he wanted to have them close. Just something happened, like they both would wake up because the storm scared them.

When Simmons came back from putting the clothes in the washing basket and stuffing away the suitcase, Grif was already in his sleeping clothes, sweatpants and a shirt, standing at the crib of Emily. Gently tugging him away from the crib after changing in his sleeping clothes, Simmons made Grif lay on the bed. “Come on, lets get some rest. We will hear them if they wake up. Let them sleep for the first time in their home.”

“Right. Home. Something I thought I would never witness in my live.” Grif suddenly said, thinking.  
“Huh? Sorry Grif?”  
“Home. I thought I would never really feel like home or at least have a house which I could call home and really feel like that. But now, I could tell that I feel home. That I’m happy being here with you and the two pups.”  
“Simmons smiled. I’m happy to hear it. I too feel it. It’s a wonderful feeling. But now, let’s lay on the bed and sleep a bit. I suppose napping is the best idea with this horrible weather.”  
Grif began to grin genuinely. “Napping is always the best idea.”

Simmons rolled his eyes. “You’re suck a lazyass.”  
“I know, and I love it.” Simmons chuckled and pulled Grif down on the bed with a loving kiss.

They had about ten minutes until a loud thunder woke the babies up. They began crying, Grif and Simmons both now having their work cut out, calming down the two bundles.


	19. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I can't believe I actually managed to finish a Story! OO  
> I hope you enjoyed the Story so far and wish you loads of fun with the last chapter.

Days and weeks passed after Grifs childbirth, he and Simmons soon settling into a daily rhythm with the two kids. Whilst Geoff was a rather quiet and sleepy kind of baby, Emily was perky and always wanted to be entertained. What caused a fight in the end between Grif and Simmons, the Hawaiian clearly making a strict rule when bedtime was and that everyone had to stick to. Otherwise, Emily would never sleep properly if her Pap would take her up everytime she cried.  
Simmons had some troubles coping with that, because he would often hear Emily through the babyphone.  
Eventually everything settled and Emily now accepted the fact of bedtime meant sleeping time.

The time passing by, Emily and Geoff got bigger, going to school, later they would attempt the college. Emily had beautiful long, curly red hair and blue eyes. She was the beautiqueen of the school and had an interest in medicine. She would become a doctor once.  
Geoff with his black hair and green eyes always made the others believe he was a lazy slacker. But the Grifs knew better. He often used to learn at home for long time what he didn’t catch up during lesson. His interests in biomech and physics was a blessing for Simmons, who gladly often told him stuff about that.

It was only logical that Geoff would attempt the newly created topic Biomechanics as well as Physics at college. After some years, he would be one of the leading and famous doctors and scientists on the field of cybernetic enhancements. Most of the stuff he learned from his pap. Even after being a famous doc, both of them never forgot their family. Emily and Geoff would often drop by on weekends, enjoying their time with their fathers, Geoff sometimes asking his Pap about cybernetics and his opinion about that. Sometimes they could talk through nights, while Grif already went to bed and let the nerds talk.

Most important thing was the Grifs had a great bond among themselves. The kids never would forget who raised them, proudly telling everyone that they had two dads, not bothering the weird glances. Emily even managed to improve the male-pregnancy to a stage where they could give to a kid normally, also making it possible that the artificial uterus doesn’t need to be extracted after cutting it open.

 

* * *

 

 

Donut and Caboose had a rather interesting relationship. Caboose still was the infantile mountan of a main like usually. Always seeing everything with a big naïve touch. It wasn’t a surprise when Donut told them that he was asexual. The missing sexual drive might prevented him from loosing his naïve and childlike behavior. Hell, he didn’t even noticed that people were having sex when looking right at them. For Donut this was a blessing, to have someone so fucking oblivious about most of the stuff living with him.

Donut, after some years of being single, found a man he wanted to live with him. A man able coping with his overly strange behavior. Donuts friends often talked about how much aking this guy was to doc. He was a calm, peace-loving guy, always going with the flow and taking whatever Donut might throw at him.  
The Blood Gulch Crew welcomed him in their rather unusal kind of family, making him a part of it. Seeing them both together, everybody doubted that they would separate so soon. Hell, he was even able to cope with Caboose and communicate with him on his infantile state of mind. And that fucking meant something!

 

* * *

 

Sarge was the only one slowly loosing the contact to the Crew. He was living a bit away of them in a small apartment, having a new shotgun chosen for his partner. He seemed to prefer living with guns than with humans all along. It wasn’t a surprise that he only came to the barbecues they made up regularly. Otherwise you wouldn’t really hear a thing of him. He always had been some kind of eccentric maverick.

He found a job at the local highschool as gym teacher. Although the gym lessons made by him had more the touch of a military drill than a real school class. They had to run laps, make obstacle courses and all shit, Sarge standing close by all the time, bitching about that even Grif had better results in this course. He withhold the fact that Grif only had been so fast because Sarge was behind him, making him run by shooting at him with his shotgun.  
If, occasionally, Sarge would allow a team game, he would always divide the class in two groups. The reds and the blues. Was it surprising that the blue team most of the time won and Sarge was bitching against them all the time? Not really, right?

 

* * *

 

Tucker made his way pretty good considering the circumstances. Together with Grif and Cory they managed to extend the surfing school, putting up another branch on one of the other islands with lots of toursits. The people working for them only had praise left for them. Grif and Tucker really were good bosses. They were strict at some point, but if anyone was clearly sick or had an urgent family issue, they would send him home, no matter how much work they had.

At home, it didn’t went that good all the time. Junior hated Tucker for a certain time as, inevidently, the question came why Duncan’s mother wasn’t here. When he had been old enough, he told him, even giving the old phone number he had of his ex-girlfriend. Junior had been upset about the fact that his mom didn’t want him, rather leaving him alone with his dad. Although he was a great one, always trying to make the best for his son.

Some months after this incident, Junior decided to call up his mom. The number was still working. Before Junior was able to say more than “Hello mom, I’m Duncan.” She told him bluntly that she never wanted him and didn’t want to be in contact with him. In addition, he never again should call up this number. After that, she hung up, leaving a desperate Junior back.

It took Tucker weeks to buid his kid back up, encouraging him that not everything was that bad. It took him some more time to tighten the bond of trust they had.  
Lucky for him, his friends often used to drop by (Named as Grif, Simmons, Wash and Ala), also encouraging his kid, telling some rather embarrassing anecdotes from Tuckers past, when Junior had been too joung to remember.

After that, these two were almost inseparable. Junior even took over the school from Tucker and Grif when they retreated, because he loved surfing and diving as much as his dad and wanted to keep the successful family business running.

 

* * *

 

The Washingtons had in total four kids, before they decided to quit the family planning. One girl and three guys. Connie, Jason, Sean and Max, named after Freelancers such as C.T., North, York and Maine.  
Wash first had been reluctant about the idea, but Ala insisted on calling them like that, because she knew North. And got told lots of stories about the guys, what made her be persuaded that they were good guys, just gotten used for bad purposes.

Connie had Carolina and Tucker as godmother, respectively godfather. Jason had Grif and Kris. Sean Simmons and Four Seven Niner. Max at least had Sarge (rather a grumpy ex-military than Donut or, let alone, Caboose) and Carly. A new friend they made during their time since they came back.

Connie would go to the army, as she always had been a tomboy in school, not really getting more feminine during the time. Jason and Sean would follow her when they were old enough. Only Max didn’t go to the army and didn’t got drafted because he deicded to study the alien tech and language. Having Tucker in his ‘family’ who spoke fluently Sangheili, he often hung around with him, using him a living example to analyze the structure of this language.

Somewhen, he would leave the planet, beginning to use his knowledge to live with the Sangheilis for some years, analyzing their social structure and language more deeply, taking over the role as ambassador from Tucker when he was too old for shit like planetar traveling.

When Ala and Wash died, he would come back and take over the house he grew up in (The other three had no interest in it, they rather served in the army). When he settled, he began to give courses about the Sangheili he specialized in, learning the kids the things you need to know about them during school. To soon have new interpreter and ambassadors.

 

* * *

 

Four Seven niner and Carolina used to travel around the world and to the civilized planets closeby. As one of the best aviators (in Carolinas case fighter), they were wanted instructors for the new recruits. Whilst Four Seven Niner taught them how to fly like a madman, Carolina used to teach the recruits in hand-to-hand combat, along with Martial Arts training and participating the training of the soldiers in general.  
They both had a lot of knowledge and experience to learn the recruits.

Although both of them used to tingle around on different places on different planets, they never forgot to actually come home, at least when their respective gochild had birthday. Or when it was Christmas or something important like a promotion happened.

It wasn’t really surprising that the kids of her former teammate were on the team she educated and trained. Carolina knew Ala and Wash were worried about loosing their kids, but they knew the same time, that this was just war. At least Carolina trained them, what calmed the Washingtons a bit, because they knew they would be more than capable of looking after themselves when their training with Carolina was over.

 

* * *

 

The people on Chorus were able to keep a stable peace on their planet, the armies finally merging to one big army. They had their very own government. Two presidents, elected by the people and two senates, deciding what happens on chorus. It may take longer on Chorus do decide something as the always had to discuss things out. But when something was decided, it would be good for the people, even on longer term.

Well, long discussions had anyway a slightly different meaning. As their days were 12 hours longer than terrestrian time, they had more time to discuss. So compared to terrestrian governments and taking decisions, they were even faster.

The Blood Gulch Crew used to visit them every now and then, meeting old friends and see how things developed. They got welcomed like never being gone in the first place, the recruits they had immediately attaching to their former leader and wanting to know everything of them.  
Jensen and Andersmith seemed to have some kind of relationship, Bitters and Matthews finally grasping what they meant to each other, putting aside their pride and started dating.  
Palomo seemed to get dumber with every day, because he looked somehow like Tucker would be if Duncan hadn’t been born. An unparalleled idiot. Some of the soldiers left the army, settling down and maybe started up a family.

All in all, since Chorus had some kind of stable peace, the development here was akin to the one on earth.

 

* * *

 

It took some time for the Blood Gulch Crew to find home after the war, but eventually everyone settled more or less, finding a new task in his or her lives. Jobs, kids, friends.

Although everyone had his or her own family or task, most of them stayed as close as they had been during the war. Something aking to a misshaped Family of brothers and sisters. Something people on the outside wouldn’t understand.

But the most important thing was, that they all found something beside happiness. People they could call family and a place they could call home.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story so far.
> 
> Thanks for reading and rating? Maybe leaving a comment? :)


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